Since China successfully hosted the first China-Central Asia Summit in Xi'an in May 2023, relations between China and the Central Asian countries have entered a new era. And as the second China-Central Asia Summit took place in Astana from June 16 to 18 this year, the spirit of cooperation continues to deepen. Against this backdrop, cultural relics from both China and Central Asia stand as powerful symbols and vivid reminders of the enduring Silk Road legacy – bearing witness to centuries of exchange, connection, and a shared heritage.

In CGTN's When Relics Speak series, cutting-edge AI breathes new life into historic treasures: China's galloping bronze horse, Kazakhstan's iconic "Golden Man," the Balbals of Kyrgyzstan, the vibrant murals of Panjakent in Tajikistan, a sphinx-shaped neck pendant unearthed by a China-Uzbekistan joint archaeological team at the Rabot Ancient Ruins in Uzbekistan, and the rhytons discovered in both Turkmenistan's UNESCO-listed Old Nisa and China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Artificial intelligence makes it possible to retrace the origins of these artifacts, recount their journeys, and, most importantly, illuminate the enduring values of the Silk Road: peace, cooperation, openness, and mutual learning.

What gives voice to these silent relics? While technology plays a key role, the true force behind their stories lies deeper – in the enduring spirit of people-to-people exchanges that have continued across time and space. It is this shared cultural dialogue that allows history to speak with renewed relevance today.

The ancient Silk Road once thrived as a conduit for trade and cultural exchange between China and Central Asia. Today, that legacy continues through high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, infusing new energy into centuries-old bonds and fostering friendship, understanding, and collaboration across generations.

Guided by the China-Central Asia spirit of "mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit, and mutual assistance for the joint pursuit of modernization through high-quality development," the cultural dialogue between China and Central Asia continues to flourish. There is no doubt that relics from China and the Central Asian countries will continue to tell new stories in the years ahead. And as cooperation continues to deepen, the voices of the past will echo more clearly in our time, fostering a deeper understanding, an enduring friendship, and shared development and prosperity for a brighter future.