Echoes of Silk Road: Dunhuang forbidden grottoes unlock in Nanshan, Shenzhen

The "Dunhuang Splendors: Culture and Art Exhibition of Mogao Grottoes" opens at the Nanshan Museum in Shenzhen on July 26, 2025, showcasing over 200 precious artifacts – including multiple national treasures debuting publicly for the first time – alongside digital reconstructions of restricted caves.

Running until November 23, 2025, the Exhibition promises to deliver a profound artistic experience spanning centuries to audiences in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. This meticulously curated event represents a unique opportunity to witness the splendors of the Mogao Grottoes through both original relics and cutting-edge digital presentations.

The poster of the Exhibition

Hailed as the largest, most comprehensive, and artifact-rich Dunhuang cultural exhibition ever staged in southern China, the Exhibition presents 205 meticulously selected artifacts. Organized into six thematic sections, it blends physical relics with multimedia displays to offer a profound exploration of Dunhuang culture.

The Exhibition's exceptional scarcity factor commands attention: All six digitally reconstructed grottoes represent Mogao's highest-grade protected sites, including the normally inaccessible Grotto 3 and Grotto 285. Grotto 275—Mogao's oldest cave—has been digitally reproduced in its entirety, marking a breakthrough in heritage preservation technology.

The highlights of the Exhibition are being showcased.

Further elevating its uniqueness, the Exhibition features over 60 rare replica paintings by Dunhuang's pioneering conservators like Chang Shuhong and Duan Wenjie, alongside more than 80 authentic artifacts seldom displayed publicly. Together, these irreplaceable treasures offer visitors an exceptionally privileged encounter with the cultural legacy.

Tickets are now on sale for the Exhibition following its official launch on July 5 at Nanshan Museum.

At the launch ceremony, the Hong Kong Gaudeamus Dunhuang Ensemble transported attendees back in time, performing newly adapted scores from lost melodies depicted in Mogao murals. Complementing the music, Dunhuang Academy Deputy Director Zhang Xiaogang delivered a keynote lecture previewing the exhibition's thematic depth to over 400 guests.

At the ceremony, all the audience were fully concentrated.

During the ceremony, the audience are fully engaged.

Zhang emphasized the Exhibition's historic significance: "Bringing this millennia-old heritage—safeguarded through eight decades of dedication—to Shenzhen as southern China's largest Dunhuang showcase represents a vital cultural bridge between past and future."