Cultural crossroads

A major exhibition examining the pivotal role played by the Tibetan Tubo regime in the Silk Road era is breaking new ground, Wang Kaihao reports in Dunhuang.

When you mention the ancient Silk Road to most people, they usually think of the Eurasian trade routes spreading from Chang'an, today's Xi'an and the capital of Shaanxi province, toward Central Asia out through the deserts of Northwest China.

Dunhuang, Gansu province, served as a pivotal crossroads on this network of routes for over a millennium. It's also an ideal place to gain an insight into the prosperity that those trade routes brought when you visit the nearby Mogao Grottoes. This complex of hundreds of caves features a host of exquisite statues and murals in a mix of artistic styles from a diverse range of civilizations.