Dunhuang metal engravings. [Photo/Dunhuang Converged Media Center]

Dunhuang, famed for the Mogao Caves murals, is home to a rich intangible cultural heritage (ICH). The city now has 261 protected ICH items and 10 inheritance bases. Its inheriting team includes one national representative, 11 provincial, 46 Jiuquan municipal and 206 Dunhuang municipal inheritors.

Dunhuang Quzi Opera arose in the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911). It absorbed Northwest operas, folk tunes, and local songs, becoming a distinctive Dunhuang genre.

In 2006, it was listed among China's first national ICH items. By 2026, Dunhuang had held 12 Quzi Opera competitions, bringing the old art back into public view.

Dunhuang painted sculpture, listed as a provincial ICH in 2008, follows ancient methods: red willow frames, wheat straw cores, layered clay and coloring. Inheritor Du Yongwei has long trained apprentices and studied the craft.

Dunhuang paper-cutting, also provincial ICH in 2008, uses mural motifs such as flying apsaras and caisson ceilings. Inheritors He Kefeng and Zhuang Shengjuan have created many works.

Other Dunhuang ICH includes overglaze decoration, metal engraving, folk songs, and ancient instrument making. Several of Dunhuang's traditional arts and crafts were showcased during Gansu province's 2026 Cultural and Natural Heritage Day celebrations, giving visitors an opportunity to see examples of the city's intangible cultural heritage firsthand.