DUN HUANG — Tracing the Origins of Dunhuang Murals — Becoming a Dunhuang Mural Artist
Dunhuang Museum / Mogao Caves / Yangguan Pass
Mingsha Mountain
Dunhuang Seal House / Dunhuang Bookstore
Home to the Mogao Caves
revered as the “Louvre of the East”—Dunhuang
embodies a millennium of Buddhist civilization.
From the Sixteen Kingdoms period to the Yuan Dynasty
its 735 grottoes span more than a thousand years of history. Within 45,000 square metersof exquisite murals
and over 2,000 painted sculptures,
the splendor of bygone eras is quietly preserved,
telling the enduring story of a glorious past.
It is a natural wonder where mountain springs
and desert sands coexist
in perfect harmony,
and where water and sand have thrived together for centuries.
It is a shining jewel along the ancient Silk Road,
a crossroads where Eastern and Western civilizations met, mingled, and flourished through cultural exchange.
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It is the only place in the world
where you can experience both
“Lone smoke over the desert” and the “Sanctuary of art.”
From the Han Dynasty’s establishment of the commanderies
to the prosperity of the Sui and Tang,
From Tubo murals to Western Xia scriptures,
Four great civilizations converge and merge here.
This is Dunhuang
— a sight that lingers in the heart for a thousand years,
calling you to come
3 Hardcore Highlights — Tracing the Origins of Dunhuang Murals — Becoming a Dunhuang Mural Artist
01.Intangible Heritage Ground Layer · Sourcing the Foundation
- Venture deep into the Gobi Desert to collect authentic Dunhuang mural materials — Chengbang soil and five-colored sand.
- Following ancient methods: sifting, soaking, adding hemp fibers, and kneading into clay — recreate the intangible cultural heritage technique of the mural ground layer.
- With your own hands, build the very foundation that has kept these thousand-year murals “uncorrupted and upright” — touching the roots of intangible heritage and understanding the scientific wisdom behind Dunhuang’s enduring legacy.\
02.Mineral Pigment Grinding · The Seal of a Millennium
- Grind natural mineral pigments to unlock the color signature that has kept Dunhuang murals “unfading for a thousand years.”
- Carry forward the Eastern aesthetic of the master craftsmen — “using stone as ink, earth as foundation.”
- Experience the profound cultural weight of intangible heritage, where “the material itself is the culture.”
03. Full-Process Craftsmanship · Living Heritage
- From preparing the ground layer to line drawing, color layering, and shading — under the guidance of professional instructors, complete the entire intangible heritage mural creation process and finish your own Dunhuang mural artwork.
- Immerse yourself as a inheritor of intangible cultural heritage. Understand the deeper meaning behind the saying: “Only when your hands touch Dunhuang earth, can you truly grasp the soul of the murals.” Keep this thousand-year craft alive — continuing through your fingertips.
Itinerary — |7D6N·Tracing Dunhuang Murals|
Day 1
Reference Flights:
✈️ CA976 | Sep 5 | Singapore Changi T1 → Beijing Capital T3 | 09:00 –15:15
✈️CA1287 | Sep 5 | Beijing Capital T3 → Dunhuang | 16:45 – 20:10
Opening Ceremony · Hello, Dunhuang:
This is a truly ceremonial moment. At the opening ceremony, we will meet new travel companions, receive our art discovery kits, confirm team objectives, and embark on the Dunhuang art exploration journey together.
Day 2
Earth Gathering · Chengbang Soil Collection & Processing：
Take a small shovel and venture deep into the Gobi Desert to search for and collect Chengbang soil. Remove impurities, crush the soil into pieces, place it into containers, and add water — observe how the soil absorbs water and transforms in texture. With your own hands, sift through the five-colored sand that has settled from a thousand years of wind and sandstorms.
Ancient-Method Clay Tablet · Ground Layer (Gritstone) Preparation：
Pick up a sieve, sift the sand following ancient methods, and remove impurities. Apply glue to the wooden board — now comes the test of skill. Evenly sprinkle the grit onto the wooden board and ensure every side is smooth. This is truly no easy task.
Exploring the Dunhuang Museum：
Dunhuang Museum — a National Second-Grade Museum. Replica caves, mural bricks, tomb guardian beasts… It is known as a “living history textbook” and “a chronicle in motion,” guiding you to a comprehensive understanding of Dunhuang.
TREE ART Sketching Course — Exploring Dunhuang
Ancient-Method Clay Tablet · Making the Rough Mud Layer (Ground Layer)：
Processing wheat straw and beating hemp fibers — the children are busy with great enthusiasm. Mastering the techniques and mixing them with the soaked Chengbang soil — this truly puts their skills to the test. On top of the finished gritstone layer, they transform into little plasterers, spreading and shaping the mud into their favorite forms.
Day 3
Mogao Caves · An Unrivaled Artistic Treasure：
The Mogao Caves are a artistic treasure that everyone dreams of visiting — a three-dimensional art form combining architecture, sculpture, and mural painting. The artistic legacy of ten dynasties are layered here, blooming in brilliant splendor. Step into the grottoes and feel the awe of walls brimming with timeless beauty. Listen quietly to the secrets of the pigments hidden within the Flying Apsaras murals. One cave, one world; one wall, a thousand years.
Mogao Caves · Exhibition Center：
The Mogao Caves Exhibition Center is an excellent sketching destination. Eight 1:1 replica caves recreate the real grottoes in stunning detail, with every mural and painted sculpture clearly visible. Without leaving the center, you can fully appreciate the artistic essence of a thousand years — every stroke you draw carries the ancient charm of the Silk Road.
TREE ART Sketching Course — The Aesthetics of Mogao Caves Murals
Day 4
Yangguan Pass · Receiving Your Customs pass：
From entering Yangguan Pass and “receiving your exclusive customs pass” to the “pass-exiting ceremony” — every step follows in the footsteps of the ancients. This allows children to truly experience and understand how caravans, loaded with silk and porcelain and carrying their customs passes, set out from Yangguan Pass, leaving the Central Plains and heading westward to the Western Regions. Interwoven with the stories of Zhang Qian and Xuanzang, “the wisdom of the ancients” is infused into every detail, enabling children to “touch” the warmth of art.
Fine Mud Layer · Nourishing the Canvas for the Mural：
While the rough mud layer provides a solid structural foundation, the fine mud layer is the secret that gives the mural a smooth, skin-like, delicate, and silky surface.
Sieve out impurities from the Dunhuang Chengbang soil to create a fine, paste-like mud mixture. Layer it onto the rough mud base, applying coat after coat, repeatedly polishing and pressing it smooth.
Wood-Bone Clay Sculpture · Wood as Bone, Clay as Flesh：
In the Mogao Caves, there is an art form even more three-dimensional than murals, more vivid than relief sculptures — the wood-bone clay sculpture. Using wood as the skeleton and clay as the flesh, layer by layer of clay is applied, step by step polished. After enduring a thousand years of wind and sand, these sculptures still wear a gentle smile in their eyes.
Step into the workshop and trace the history of Dunhuang figure-making. With your own hands, experience the entire process: preparing the clay, applying the rough layer, fine shaping, and detailed carving — from raw earth to divine expression, restoring the ancient methods step by step.
Encounter Dunhuang · Large-Scale Immersive Theater：
Using modern technology to bring murals to life, this immersive performance presents the legendary stories of the Mogao Caves. History awakens through dance; murals are reborn in light and shadow. Through this experience, children will gain a much deeper understanding of Dunhuang.
Day 5
White Powder Layer · Priming the Surface for Color:
This is the invisible bridge between the fine mud layer and the mineral pigments.
Smooth the fine mud layer until polished, then mix kaolin or gypsum into a slurry and apply a thin, even coat — just like whitewashing a wall. Once dried, the clay tablet becomes white and finely textured, providing the perfect surface for mineral pigments to shine brightly — lapis lazuli deep and luminous, cinnabar vivid and brilliant.
Mingsha Mountain & Crescent Lake · Countless Ways to Enjoy the Desert:
A national 5A scenic wonder where sand and water coexist. Hop on a camel — your desert caravan ride — as the bells jingle softly and you sway slowly across the golden dunes, experiencing the unique charm of the Silk Road. Little adventurers, it’s time to answer the call! Trek up the sand mountain together and see who can conquer the desert and earn the title “King of the Sand Mountain.” Today’s joy is brought to you by the desert.
TREE ART Sketching Course — Desert Pavilions and Towers
Desert Stargazing · Exclusive Astronomy Session:
Venture deep into the desert, listen to an engaging astronomy, observe the magnificent starry river up close through telescopes, take memorable photos under the dazzling night sky, and fully immerse yourself in the unique romantic charm of the desert beneath the stars.
Day 6
Little Artists · Mural Copying Course:
As the young artists apply their pigments onto the handcrafted clay tablets, the classroom transforms into a Dunhuang painting studio from a thousand years ago. Mixing pigments with glue, tracing lines, layering colors — every step is a new challenge. True “copying” is not mechanical reproduction, but rather a dialogue between the palm and the material, awakening a thousand-year-old craftsmanship spirit through reverence.
Art Closing Ceremony · Exclusive Art Exhibition:
Hosting your very own art exhibition brings a welling sense of pride. The artistic gene awakens from this moment, cultural confidence soars, and the title of “Dunhuang Mural Heritage Bearer” is certified — beyond a doubt! Amid laughter, joyful tears, and reluctant goodbyes, we wave farewell.
Study Tour Bazaar · A Little Bit of Everything — Food, Drinks, Cultural Creations:
Over the past few days, the children have accumulated a bag full of study tour copper coins through classroom performance and knowledge quizzes. On the final day, the bazaar opens with great enthusiasm. The children line up eagerly, their eyes sparkling.
2 coins for a ration, 3 coins for apricot peel tea. Mineral pigments, clay tablets, cultural creative goods — everything you could want is available. Careful budgeting, independent spending — laughter, playful bargaining, and lively vendor calls fill the air. The vibrant market life of a thousand-year-old Dunhuang brews into the warmest, most vivid memory of this study tour.
Desert Banquet · The Romance of the Desert:
Venture deep into the heart of Mingsha Mountain. Savor local delicacies while watching a stunning sunset, slide down the sand dunes, and gaze at the stars. After dinner, gather around a crackling campfire with your companions, set off sparkling fireworks, and make a wish! In a place closest to the starry sky, witness the heavens blanketed with constellations — a romance found only in the desert.
Day 7
Dunhuang Seal House · A Haven of Stamps：
Push open the door and be greeted by the subtle scent of ink. Walls lined with countless stamps await you at this uniquely distinctive Dunhuang Seal House. With the exclusive souvenir stamp book we’ve prepared for each child, they can freely stamp away, collecting memories of their journey with every impression.
Dunhuang Bookstore · Mogao Caves on Paper：
Visit the Dunhuang Bookstore, renowned as one of “China’s Most Beautiful Bookstores” and often called the “Mogao Caves on Paper.” Flip through exquisite Dunhuang art albums, gather inspiration, and purchase cultural creative products inspired by Dunhuang themes.
Reference Flights:
✈️CA1286 | Sep 11 | Dunhuang → Beijing Capital T3 | 09:00 – 15:15
✈️ CA975 | Sep 12 | Beijing Capital T3 → Singapore Changi T1 | 00:25 –06:50
DUN HUANG — My Time as a Dunhuang Artist — Route Guide
DUN HUANG — Tracing Dunhuang Murals — My Time as a Dunhuang Artist
It’s time to journey to Dunhuang.
Answer a thousand-year-old invitation
and witness where civilizations once met and flourished.
Climb golden dunes, slide across the desert sands,
and listen to the distant echoes of camel bells along the Silk Road.
Discover a place
that holds half the story of Chinese civilization
and preserves the artistic legacy of a thousand years.
Some experiences cannot be learned from books
— they must be seen, touched, and lived.
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