Grottos get creative with their spaces

New venues offer visitors to the famed home of the artworks more attractions to experience, Cheng Yuezhu and Ma Jingna report in Dunhuang, Gansu.

When Dunhuang is mentioned, the most lasting impression is of its historical inheritance, principally the must-visit painted grottos of the Mogao Caves.

In addition to preserving this treasured heritage, the city in Gansu province is now seeking to become more contemporary and cater to different needs, by setting up multifunctional cultural venues and offering experiences with a modern touch.

The Dunhuang Book Center is one such venue. Like other bookstores, it is stacked with books and creative cultural items, but it is also unmistakably of Dunhuang, with its exterior and interior design, titles and merchandise inspired by the grottoes and the murals.