LANZHOU, May 31 (Xinhua) -- As dusk falls over the Gobi Desert, the golden hues of the Mogao Caves seem to whisper tales of a bygone era. Yet within these ancient grottoes lies something extraordinary: cutting-edge technology now breathes new life into millennia-old art.

At the ongoing fourth Dialogue on Exchanges and Mutual Learning among Civilizations in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, this fusion of past and future has emerged as a central theme, positioning Dunhuang as both a guardian of heritage and a pioneer of 21st-century cultural innovation and cultural exchange.

The "Digital Dunhuang" project, a decade-long endeavor to create virtual replicas of caves and murals, has drawn particular attention. Delegates examined 3D-printed replicas of eroded statues and augmented reality projections that restore faded pigments to their original brilliance.

Jointly hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Gansu Provincial Government, the dialogue gathered nearly 400 participants, including foreign political leaders, scholars, and representatives from international organizations.

Marking the first time the dialogue has been held outside Beijing since its 2019 inception, the choice of Dunhuang -- a UNESCO World Heritage site -- underscores its enduring role as a bridge between civilizations.

"It is interesting for this symposium to take place in Dunhuang, as part of the Silk Road where so many different items and ideas were traded for so very long," said Christopher Merrill, director of the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa. "When people come together and exchange ideas, poems, and stories, they come away with different understandings not only of the culture they are exposed to, but of their very own ways of thinking about the world."

For centuries, Dunhuang's Mogao Caves stood as a melting pot of Buddhist art, Persian motifs, and Hellenistic influences. Today, its frescoes tell timeless tales: Western traders with aquiline noses leading camels meet East Asian merchants; Hindu apsaras (celestial beings) mingle with Chinese mythological figures like Fuxi and Nuwa.

"Dunhuang is where civilizations began to converse," remarked Eliso Elisashvili, president of Georgian International University, marveling at the city's "beautiful, magnetic" blend of histories.

The dialogue's agenda -- spanning topics from AI-era cultural shifts to museum collaborations -- reflects modern challenges. Delegates from Nepal, Egypt, and beyond emphasized that mutual respect for diversity must be the foundation of global discourse.

"Dunhuang offers a blueprint for dialogue," said one participant after touring the caves' vibrant murals.

"Dunhuang's openness remains instructive," noted Lee Kang-bum, professor emeritus and specialist in Confucian classics and classical Chinese texts at Chung-Ang University in the Republic of Korea.

"In the digital age, we no longer depend solely on a singular ancient Silk Road, but instead embrace countless 'digital Silk Roads' that connect billions globally. Artificial intelligence is also reshaping the methods and depth of cross-cultural exchanges," German sinologist Martin Woesler added.

Fan Jinshi, the honorary president of Dunhuang Academy, said: "In today's era, as nations worldwide share the mission of pursuing peaceful development, we hope countries can draw lessons from the Silk Road's historical legacy of civilizational integration and cultural dialogue to advance the Silk Road Economic Belt and promote the flourishing of diverse cultures across the globe." ■