Editor’s Note: The Sixth Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo will be held in Dunhuang, Northwest China’s Gansu Province, from September 6 to 7, 2023. As a key pass along the ancient Silk Road, Dunhuang is home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Mogao Grottoes, the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring Scenic Spot, and so on. Starting from September 4, GDToday will bring you an in-depth exploration of the city of Dunhuang.
If you want to learn more about Dunhuang, the Dunhuang Book Center is a must-visit. Located in the heart of the city, the book center is a modern space housing Dunhuang-themed books, paintings, calligraphy, cultural and creative products, coffee, cultural events, art creation, cultural exchange, and so on.
The Dunhuang Book Center has over 20,000 volumes of Dunhuang-theme books in more than 2,000 types. On the second floor, there are over 1,180 volumes of ancient books about Dunhuang collected by libraries and museums around the world.
In the book center, Dunhuang elements can be found everywhere. Don’t forget to look up at the verses at the ceiling, where you can feel the soul-stirring vibes of the ancient Yangguan Pass, known by most Chinese from a poem by Wang Wei of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). “I invite you to drink a cup of wine again. West of the Yangguan Pass, no more friends will be seen,” Wang wrote.
The Dunhuang 1900 Cafe takes its name from the year when the Dunhuang manuscripts were first discovered in 1900 in the Mogao Grottoes. The Cafe offers coffee featuring local characteristics and Dunhuang poetry.
At the Dunhuang Inspiration Section, there are over 3,000 cultural and creative products on the theme of Dunhuang. The Flying Apsaras figurines, the legendary “Nine-Colored Deer”, and more Dunhuang-themed cultural and creative products are waiting for you. Remember to bring back home a romantic gift that is exclusive to the murals in the Mogao Grottoes.
Children can also enjoy a great day at the book center. At the reading area for children, kids can make clay paintings. The clay is hand-made with the same materials as the walls in the Mogao Grottoes.
Add.: Room 103, No. 59 Miaojie, north side of Binhe Road, Danghe East Road, Dunhuang, Jiuquan City, Gansu Province (甘肃省酒泉市敦煌市党河东路滨河路北侧妙街59号103室)
Opening hours: 9:00-22:30
How to make a reservation: Visitors can make a reservation on the official WeChat account of the book center “敦煌書局” (pinyin: dun huang shu ju) or the WeChat mini program of “游敦煌” (pinyin: you dun huang). Due to the limited number of spaces, please make a reservation one day in advance.
Reporter: Monica
Video: Wingheng, Zelda (intern)
Poster: Mia
Editor: Olivia, Steven, Nan, James
Video footages provided to GDToday
