China Focus: Millennium-old sites on Silk Road open in China, offer gateway to history

LANZHOU, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Two major archaeological sites along the ancient Silk Road opened to the public in northwest China on Thursday, the first day of the May Day holiday, offering new choices for travelers keen to explore the exchanges between Eastern and Western civilizations over a millennium ago.

One of these newly opened sites, the Tuyugou Grottoes, is located in the city of Turpan, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. This complex, built around the fifth century, boasts 157 caves carved into cliffs, three temples and nine pagodas.

Five caves and a Buddhist temple at the grottoes have opened to the public, offering 300 visitor slots per day, said Liu Yi, a cultural relics preservation official of Turpan's cultural heritage bureau.

Ten archaeological excavations since 2010 at the site have unearthed abundant artifacts, including Buddhist scriptures in multiple languages as well as documents like taxation records and loan contracts.

China has invested more than 77 million yuan (about 10.7 million U.S. dollars) in restoring and reinforcing these grottoes in recent years.

"The Tuyugou Grottoes are a vivid testimony to the cultural and religious exchanges in the Turpan Basin," said Xia Lidong, associate researcher at the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The ruins of Xuanquanzhi in the city of Dunhuang, Gansu Province, also opened to the public on Thursday.

Dating back some 2,000 years to the Western Han Dynasty, the site back then served as a comprehensive post station for mail and information deliveries, as well as the reception of messengers, officials and foreign guests. It is one of the Silk Road sites that were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014.

Following excavations in the early 1990s, the site was accessible only to research teams. Thanks to investments totaling over 309 million yuan, China strengthened preservation of the site and developed tourism facilities.

"Through its remarkable efforts in cultural preservation, China has reminded the world that heritage is not static. It lives, breathes and teaches," said Qaiser Nawab, chairman of the Belt and Road Initiative for Sustainable Development.

Addressing the needs of international tourists, the site's guiding and interpretation services are available in multiple languages.

Samuel Fanning, a tourist and history lover from Canada, was attracted by Turpan's ancient architecture.

"I planned to stay in Xinjiang for seven days, but it will end up being 12 days. I think this can speak to how enjoyable it is to visit here," Fanning said, adding that he will also visit Dunhuang.

Qiu Jian, head of the Gansu provincial cultural heritage bureau, revealed that global interest in the ancient Silk Road is steadily rising.

"Through the gradual opening of more cultural heritage sites, we aim to present an overall and more diverse picture of the Silk Road culture to the public," said Qiu. ■