Participants of the Global Mayors Dialogue event visit the Emperor Qinshihuang"s Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi"an, northwest China"s Shaanxi Province, April 29, 2026. (Xinhua)

　　XI"AN, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Around 2,000 years ago, Xi"an in northwest China served as the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, witnessing exchanges between Eastern and Western civilizations. Two millennia later, a Silk Road dialogue has brought together mayors from various countries to share insights on cultural heritage preservation and technological innovation, offering a fresh example of mutual learning among civilizations.

　　Themed "Starting Point of the Ancient Silk Road & Harmonious Coexistence: Empowering High-Quality Urban Development through Technology and Culture," the Global Mayors Dialogue event was held in Xi"an from Monday to Wednesday.

　　Mayors and representatives from countries including New Zealand, Oman, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq and Tunisia visited Xi"an"s cultural heritage sites, smart city operations and high-tech manufacturing lines, exchanging views on sustainable urban development and green transformation.

　　After touring the world-famous Terracotta Warriors, built by Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.), Hussain Al Lawati, a member of Oman"s Shura Council and representative of Muttrah, expressed admiration for the digital technologies used in artifact protection and restoration.

　　Lawati said that technology has enabled people to discover the colors and the original facial features of the Terracotta Warriors and even the correct ranks of these officers. "Using that technology is definitely going to help us understand what was our history so we can build our future upon it," he added.