The Dunhuang Book Center has developed more than 5,000 cultural and creative products. Visitors can read Dunhuang cultural classics while enjoying coffee and browsing products, and can also try their hand at copying murals. At the Dunhuang Press, visitors can make seals and experience woodblock rubbing, gaining a feel for traditional craftsmanship.

　　Participants visit an exhibition on Gansu Province's cultural innovation achievements at the 9th Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, Nov. 3, 2026. (Xinhua/Lang Bingbing)

　　Data show that in the first half of 2026, Dunhuang received 67,000 overseas visits, up 45.6 percent year on year.

　　As Dunhuang attracts more foreign tourists, its distinctive cultural and creative products are gaining more overseas fans. Shen Hongjie, who runs a woodcarving painting shop in Dunhuang, said his overseas customers often show different interests: some are drawn to desert scenery, others to flying apsara imagery, and still others to relief works.

　　At the same time, more cultural consumption spaces with international elements are appearing in Dunhuang.

　　In the city's Nancang historic and cultural district, a commercial building incorporates images of Silk Road merchants and travelers into its courtyard design. Some restaurants are combining Dunhuang specialty ingredients with Western-style dining, offering creative dishes.