(Yicai) Jan. 22 -- Preservation and access to the cultural glories of Dunhuang were discussed at a recent salon event focused on the key hub in the ancient Silk Road, home of the celebrated Mogao Caves.

The salon was jointly organized by Yicai and the China Dunhuang Grottoes Conservation Research Foundation’s public welfare partner dōTERRA, and invited representatives from participants in an ongoing exhibition, called Guardians of Dunhuang -- Special Exhibition of the China Dunhuang Grottoes Conservation Research Foundation. 

The exhibition is all about efforts to protect Dunhuang culture and share it with the public. Jointly organized by Shanghai Normal University and the Foundation, it opened last December and runs until February this year.

The exhibition presents an academic appreciation of Dunhuang that is accessible for young people, and also displays the teaching achievements of colleges and universities like Shanghai Normal University in the field of humanities, Yang Yudong, editor in chief of Yicai, said at the salon. 

It also demonstrates the integration of technology in humanities, as well as how science and engineering disciplines energize humanities resources, Yang noted. 

After being exposed to erosion from wind and sand for over a thousand years, the Dunhuang grottoes are now facing multiple threats such as cracks, as well as fluctuations in temperature and humidity, and earthquakes, said Zhu Zhehao, an associate professor from the School of Civil Engineering at Shanghai Normal University.

To address these issues, his team has used various technologies such as thermal infrared detection, crack mapping, and soil deterioration recording to obtain data, which is then used to create high-precision digital models to aid the scientific protection of Dunhuang. 

“The Dunhuang grottoes are immovable cultural relics, so there are certain limitations in showcasing them to the public. Enabling the public to have access to Dunhuang culture is what everyone is striving to accomplish,” said Liu Wei, director of public relations at dōTERRA China, which produces essential oil products from plants. 

“As a public welfare partner, we will utilize appropriate scenarios, such as the China International Import Expo, to introduce the plants along the Silk Road through the art of the grottoes,” Liu said. “This is not only combining it with the company’s products but also reflecting an integration with local culture.” 

The ancient Silk Road was both a trade route and a path for cultural exchanges. This spirit of exchange has been revived under China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which has fostered increasingly close trade relations with other countries involved in the BRI. 

The nation’s non-financial direct investment in these countries jumped 19 percent year-on-year to CNY255.5 billion (USD36.7 billion) in the first 11 months of last year, per statistics from the Yicai Research Institute. The new contracted engineering projects also rose 20 percent in value to CNY1.4 trillion (USD201.07 billion), and the completed business volume soared 11 percent to CNY919.3 billion. 

Against the backdrop of tense global geopolitical situations, Chinese enterprises have maintained their resilience and commitment to globalization, echoing the Silk Road spirit. With assistance from the guardians of Dunhuang, this spirit can form a cultural bond to promote exchanges among countries and open a new chapter for globalization.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Tom Litting