Dunhuang comes alive in XR at Shanghai Library
2025-07-05 to 2025-09-20
2025-07-05 to 2025-09-20
A thousand years of Silk Road history has arrived in Shanghai – no train ticket required.
This summer, the Shanghai Library is hosting an extraordinary immersive experience, "The Flowing Dunhuang: The Realm of Thousand Colors," an XR-powered digital exhibition that brings the legendary caves, murals and myths of Dunhuang vividly to life.
The exhibition transforms the library into a gateway to the ancient crossroads of East and West, allowing visitors to explore iconic scenes such as the Mogao Grottoes, Yumen Pass, Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring – all without leaving the city.
Visitors become the "chosen one" in a first-person storyline, exploring 14 digitally recreated Dunhuang scenes.
Yumen Pass
More than an exhibition, "The Flowing Dunhuang" is a high-tech, full-body journey into the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Using PICO 4 Ultra XR headsets, visitors become the "chosen one" in a first-person storyline, exploring 14 digitally recreated Dunhuang scenes in ultra-HD 8K detail. A 720-degree panoramic environment offers a fully immersive view of intricate murals, celestial ceilings and ancient deities.
The Nine-Color Deer
One of the exhibition's highlights is a 1:1 digital reconstruction of Cave 258, known as the "Pantheon" of the Mogao Grottoes, a space that has never been opened to the public before.
Through intuitive gesture-based interaction, visitors can activate murals, uncover hidden narratives, and light up ancient art using only their hands.
A digital reconstruction of Mogao Grottoes
The exhibition also includes a static gallery filled with photogenic installations and interactive displays.
Highlights include reconstructed musical instruments from Dunhuang murals, including pipa (a traditional Chinese four-string plucked instrument), konghou (an Chinese vertical plucked stringed instrument) and waist drums, which are brought to life through 3D printing and hand-drawn details.
Sculptural representations of mythical creatures such as the Nine-Color Deer, Blue Bird and Winged Horse transform two-dimensional frescoes into vivid, three-dimensional works of art.
Musical instruments from Dunhuang murals are reconstructed through 3D printing and hand-drawn details.
Sculptural representations of mythical creatures such as the Nine-Color Deer, Blue Bird, and Winged Horse
Dates:Through September 20, 9am-8:30pm (last entry at 7:45pm)
Venue: Shanghai Library
上海图书馆
Address: 1555 Huaihai Rd M.
淮海中路1555号
Admission: 60 yuan (US$8.4)