Dunhuang, an important and ancient cultural hub which features the grottoes that stored countless murals and Buddhist scriptures for thousands of years in Gansu Province, would rather be a small town known for philosophy than a mega city, said Lian Ji, publicity official of the province.

Lian made his speech at the Second International Culture Industry Summit, which opened on September 7, 2013, in Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province.

“As a small hinterland in northwest China, Dunhuang cannot follow the development of the country’s mega cities,” said Lian, “It would rather be a rural retreat composed of villages and towns.”

“It would be better to serve as a tourist spot ideal for those who want to conduct thorough research on the Dunhuang culture.”

According to Lian, research on Dunhuang should not only be confined to the technique and annotations of its cultural relics; it should also extend to the study on the true spirit of the art found inside the grottoes.

“We should study Dunhuang from a more philosophical perspective, paying attention to its kaleidoscopic culture, its aesthetics, its inclusive spirit and its positive force.”

Besides, digital technologies will play a key role in preserving the culture of Dunhuang. Lian said, the government will preserve Dunhuang cultural relics through cloud computing, by which people can view the murals and scriptures without actually visiting the town.

The idea won the approval of many guests. “Digitally bringing Dunhuang to those in the world who are not able to come here, is a wonderful opportunity,” said Barbara S. Genne, chairwoman of the SFCA Arts Commission from Hawaii.

The Second International Culture Industry Summit is an annual cultural event co-hosted by the Asia Pacific CEO Association and Gansu Province.

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