Participants taste wine at an exhibition on people-to-people and cultural exchanges among Belt and Road countries during the 9th Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, Nov. 3, 2026. (Xinhua/Lang Bingbing)

　　Briana Corazon Donovan, a 22-year-old American student from the same university, was equally impressed. "Buying a product means you can take culture home with you," she said.

　　These cultural and creative products from northwest China are becoming a window through which foreign visitors can learn about Dunhuang and experience Chinese culture.

　　Dunhuang was once a hub on the Silk Road in northwest China. For centuries, merchants and envoys from different regions passed through, helping create a rich cultural heritage that includes the Mogao Caves. Today, from classic mural figures such as flying apsaras and the nine-colored deer to a wealth of Silk Road elements, ancient Dunhuang culture is being woven into daily life through modern creative design.

　　Sun Xuehu, deputy general manager of Dunhuang Cultural and Tourism Group Co., Ltd., said that in recent years Dunhuang has continued to explore new ways to transform and develop its cultural heritage. Cultural and creative products have expanded from traditional tourist souvenirs into areas such as household goods and artistic design, while cultural consumption options have become increasingly diverse.