At the 8th Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo, which opened in Dunhuang, Northwest China's Gansu province, on Sept 21, cultural expert Zhang Shijun said Dunhuang is the "pearl of the Silk Road" and a key hub in exchanges between Eastern and Western civilizations.

Zhang, deputy director of the cultural promotion department of the Dunhuang Academy, noted that the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, well-preserved thanks to their desert location, house a vast collection of cave art with diverse themes and immense artistic value, making them a unique treasure among Buddhist heritage sites worldwide.