Published: 14:25, May 1, 2026 | Updated: 15:37, May 1, 2026
Immersing in Dunhuang's grottos
By Wang Zhan in Hong Kong
A visitor poses for a photo at the "Yi Nian Dunhuang" Cave Art Exhibition, Guangzhou Museum of Art, Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province, May 1, 2026. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)

A major cultural event showcasing grotto art officially opened in Guangzhou on Friday, offering visitors a rare opportunity to experience the splendor of the Mogao Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu province.

Titled "Yi Nian Dunhuang", the exhibition features seven life-size, high-precision cave replicas and over 150 new works, aiming to bring Dunhuang art out of the desert through an immersive digital interactive experience.

A gateway along the ancient Silk Road, Dunhuang was a crossroads of eastern and western civilizations. The Mogao Caves — carved between the 4th and 14th centuries — house thousands of Buddhist murals and manuscripts, standing as a testament to a millennium of cultural and religious exchange.

The exhibition runs through Oct 31 at the Guangzhou Museum of Art.

China Daily's Parker Zheng took the photos on Friday.