An aerial view of Chengxi Lake in Jinta county, Jiuquan, Gansu province, on July 27, 2024. [Photo/IC]

Jiuquan, at the western end of the Hexi Corridor, is named after a spring beneath the city whose water was said to resemble wine. Today this ancient Silk Road city is charting a new path by turning its cultural heritage into development momentum.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), its culture and tourism sector produced impressive results. These gains stem not only from natural location and historical depth, but from sustained investment in cultural tourism and innovative approaches.

At the Mogao Grottoes Digital Center, an 8K ultra-high-definition dome reveals intricate details of frescoes — down to the slightest tremble of dancers' fingertips and the texture of their garments. Since opening in July 2024, the center has received an average of 6,000 visits per day.

To develop into a regional cultural-tourism hub, Jiuquan has accelerated the formation of the Greater Dunhuang cultural and tourism economic circle with more than 200 key projects. Facilities such as Caves Books, a bookstore and cultural space, and Dunhuang Press, a creative hub featuring printmaking workshops and exhibitions, have become popular stops for travelers.

Jinta county, surrounded on three sides by desert, was once among China's most wind-blown regions. It has undergone a major transformation after decades of work. Local communities planted more than 80,000 mu (5,340 hectares) of shelter forest to halt desertification. It is a vivid example of how ecological restoration can be integrated with cultural tourism.

Jiuquan remains committed to protecting its heritage while innovating for the future. The city is leveraging cultural tourism to drive high-quality social and economic development.