Visit a Dunhuang exhibition in Beijing these holidays

The Dunhuang Culture & Art Exhibition has begun its highly anticipated second season in Beijing, running through November 2026. This edition continues to offer a captivating zodiac-themed display, featuring all 12 Chinese zodiac animals subtly featured in ancient artifacts.

The second season of the exhibition focuses on the "repatriation" of Dunhuang Library Cave artifacts, featuring 11 new replicas of precious cultural relics currently held outside China.  

Demonstrating the importance of the return of heritage items, the "Library Cave" section includes replicas of the world's earliest known medical dietetics manuscript called Shiliao Bencao (meaning "Food Therapy Herbal"), and the Tang Dynasty (618-907) astronomical chart Ziwei Yuan Xingtu (meaning "Star Map of the Purple Forbidden Enclosure"). Other highlights include medical texts like Jiufatu (or "Moxibustion Chart") and exquisite artworks such as the "Thousand-Armed, Thousand-Eyed Guanyin" painting.

The updated exhibition deepens its focus on the Library Cave's history, tracing its discovery and global dispersion of artifacts through 1:1 recreations, historical photos and interactive storytelling. Visitors can now engage with a richer array of academic talks, art workshops and immersive installations designed to bring Dunhuang's millennium-old heritage to life.

An additional activity stemming from the exhibition tour is a special "Dunhuang Coffee" experience, where edible rice paper printed with mural details dissolves into steaming coffee, creating a sensory fusion of art and taste. 

Currently underway at the Beijing Exhibition Center, the event promises a blend of education and wonder, inviting both art enthusiasts and families to explore China's cultural treasures in a dynamic, hands-on environment.