From passersby to residents

At the age of 10, Wu Mingfei received a gift from his mother: a thick book about the murals in the Mogao Caves of Dunhuang, Northwest China's Gansu province. This gift ignited his passion for painting and inspired his dream of visiting the caves one day.

In 2017, Wu, originally from Sichuan in Southwest China, finally made the trip to Dunhuang.

"The murals were even more stunning than what I had seen in the book. That was when I knew I wanted to stay here," he said.

Now 32, Wu runs an art studio in Dunhuang, where he recreates the murals on clay boards to capture their texture and essence. This allows visitors to take home a piece of the mural experience.

"Only a few caves are open to tourists due to conservation concerns, and they can't take photos or stay inside for long," Wu explained.

According to him, the Dunhuang murals are famous for their vivid colors, achieved using natural mineral pigments that have preserved their brilliance for centuries.

However, due to their high cost, Wu primarily uses regular paint for his market pieces, but he also showcases works made with mineral-based pigments in his studio and at exhibitions, offering visitors an authentic glimpse of traditional Dunhuang art.

One of his most popular pieces is A Deer of Nine Colors, a mural from Cave 257, dating back to the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534).The story, later adapted into an animated film in 1981, follows a nine-colored deer that saves a merchant from drowning, only to be betrayed by him. In the end, the merchant faces the consequences of his dishonesty.

This mural has not only influenced generations of Chinese children but also deeply resonated with Olga Pronkina, a 38-year-old Russian professor of Dunhuangology at Gansu University of Political Science and Law in Lanzhou.

In 2009, Pronkina moved to Lanzhou, where she worked in Russian language education and translation.

In 2015, she began translating books on Dunhuang, which gave her the chance to visit the region and encounter the mural of the nine-colored deer in the Mogao Caves.

She was astonished to find its striking resemblance to The Golden Antelope (1954), a Russian animated film she had watched as a child.

This unexpected cultural connection, bridging both time and geography, left her profoundly impressed.

"That's when I realized I had already been exposed to Dunhuang art; I just hadn't recognized it at the time," she said.

As a lifelong enthusiast of geography and history, Pronkina noticed that Dunhuang was rarely included in the middle school curricula of Russian-speaking countries.

"Dunhuang, situated at a key crossroads, historically connected the five Central Asian countries, once known as Xiyu (western regions) in ancient China. I want to bring this historical treasure back into the spotlight," she said.

Over the years, Pronkina has actively shared the story of Dunhuang with young audiences in Russian-speaking countries, from middle school students to university scholars.

"I believe the future of Dunhuang's culture lies with the youth, who may become the next generation of researchers in this field," she said.

A new trade path

Dunhuang was once a crucial trading hub on the ancient Silk Road. Centuries later, 30-year-old Li Peng is following a similar path.

In 2013, Li left his hometown of Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong province with the dream of becoming a wandering singer and backpacker around the world. That same year, he visited Dunhuang for the first time. Drawn to the city's rich cultural heritage, Li returned in 2015 and decided to settle there.

For the past decade, Li has maintained this lifestyle: spending summers in Dunhuang and traveling abroad each winter.

"It's like being a migratory bird," he joked.

To support his travels, Li began selling artifacts collected during his global adventures at Dunhuang's lively night market.

"The products that were once transported by camel caravans along the ancient Silk Road are now brought back in my backpack or through modern logistics," Li said. "In the future, I hope to bring Chinese goods to the Middle East and Europe."

Another young entrepreneur, 27-year-old Wang Rui, is bringing new opportunities to Dunhuang with modern social media.

In late 2019, a year after graduating from Xi'an International University in Shaanxi, Wang returned to Dunhuang, her hometown, to start her own business, using livestreaming to promote local products.

"The tourism industry in Dunhuang is well-developed, but other sectors lag behind those in larger cities. It requires a lot of experimentation," Wang said.

She explained that Dunhuang's remote location leads to higher logistics costs, and many local business owners tend to work independently, not fully realizing the power of communication and collaboration.

Despite these challenges, Wang has successfully expanded her livestreaming business and her influence.

She founded the Dunhuang E-commerce Association with support from the local government. As its president, Wang has helped connect small, scattered business owners, reducing logistics costs and increasing profit potential.

Though her journey has been difficult, Wang's sincerity and persistence are beginning to make a noticeable difference in Dunhuang's business environment.

"Compared to many established business owners, I'm still very young, but over time, local people have come to see the positive impact of my work on our hometown's growth. Gradually, I've gained their trust," she said.

Beyond the journey

Both Wu and his wife are from Sichuan, but they met by chance in Dunhuang, where they eventually decided to settle and build a life together.

Over the years, Wu has noticed more young people from across China choosing to make Dunhuang their home.

"Dunhuang may not offer the same material comforts as larger cities, but what draws people here is the unique blend of rich cultural heritage and the vibrant energy of a modern city," Wu explained.

He added that the city's well-developed tourism industry not only drives the local economy but also creates more opportunities for young entrepreneurs.

Li also observed that, in the past 10 years, Dunhuang's urban development and infrastructure have significantly improved.

He used to be frequently asked how he, coming from the coastal city of Shenzhen, adapted to life in a landlocked city like Dunhuang. Now, he's starting to see Cantonese restaurants opening, a sign of the area's increasing diversity.

"I've grown alongside Dunhuang. It has supported my dream of traveling the world, and I've given something back as well," he said.