Pic story: Dunhuang dance captivates new generation and draws visitors to Gansu

Xinhua2025-11-05 16:13

　　Students practice calisthenics incorporating Dunhuang dance during a break at the Dunhuang Middle School in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, April 26, 2023.

　　Dunhuang dance refers to a dance style that aims to bring to life the iconic figures depicted on the ancient murals of the Mogao Grottoes, which is a 1,600-year-old UNESCO World Heritage site in Dunhuang.

　　Drawing on historical themes, contemporary artists have created four awe-inspiring music and dance masterpieces, which include the classic dance drama "Flower Rains Along Silk Road," whose footprints have covered more than 40 countries and regions since its debut in 1979, and "the Thousand-Hand Bodhisattva" performed by dancers with hearing or visual impairment.

　　Last year, the four classic performing arts attracted more than 1.14 million visitors to Dunhuang, with a record of over 2,000 performances, according to data from the cultural and tourism department of Gansu Province. Through these cultural and visual feasts, tourists are immersed in the history of the ancient Silk Road, carrying forward Dunhuang's ongoing journey of cultural preservation.

　　The introduction of Dunhuang dance to local educational institutions also fuels the boom. The unique dance genre has been passed down among young generations, promoting it to a wider audience so that more people will learn about the beauty of Dunhuang. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

　　The dance drama "Flower Rains Along Silk Road" is staged at the Dunhuang Theater in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 20, 2025.(Xinhua/Lang Bingbing)

　　A dancer rehearses the dance drama "Flower Rains Along Silk Road" in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Nov. 3, 2025.(Xinhua/Chen Bin)

　　Dancers rehearse the dance drama "Flower Rains Along Silk Road" in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Nov. 3, 2025.(Xinhua/Chen Bin)

　　The dance drama "Flower Rains Along Silk Road" is staged at the Peacock Theatre in London, Britain, Jan. 11, 2014.(Xinhua/Yin Gang)

　　Dancers rehearse the dance drama "Flower Rains Along Silk Road" in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Nov. 3, 2025.(Xinhua/Chen Bin)

　　Actors perform during the media preview of the "Tales of the Silk Road" at the Lincoln Center in New York, the United States, Jan. 9, 2020.(Xinhua/Wang Ying)

　　Students from Lanzhou University of Arts and Science perform the dance "Thousand-Hand Bodhisattva" in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Nov. 28, 2019.(Xinhua/Lang Bingbing)

　　The dance drama "Flower Rains Along Silk Road" is staged at the Dunhuang Theater in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 20, 2025.(Xinhua/Lang Bingbing)

　　A teacher instructs students Dunhuang dance at a primary school in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, April 26, 2023.(Xinhua/Chen Bin)

　　A teacher (L, front) instructs a student Dunhuang dance in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Nov. 3, 2025.(Xinhua/Chen Bin)

　　Students practice Dunhuang dance following a teacher's guidance in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Nov. 28, 2019.(Xinhua/Lang Bingbing)

　　Dancers rehearse the dance drama "Flower Rains Along Silk Road" in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Nov. 3, 2025.(Xinhua/Chen Bin)