The culture of northwest China - from Buddhist cave art to exotic dances - will be showcased from October 25 to 30 during Gansu Culture Week.

Rugged, remote Gansu Province lies at the plateau intersection of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

The Silk Road, connecting China with the Mediterranean, also passed through what is now Gansu, making it a hub of trade and cultural exchange. It is also the legendary birthplace of the mythical Yellow Emperor and ancestors such as Fu Xi an Nu Wa.

The Gansu Culture Week is part of the ongoing Shanghai International Arts Festival.

The dance drama "Dunhuang Rhyme" will present the mysterious Buddhism grotto art of Dunhuang on October 25 at the Shanghai Grand Theater. It will enact legends, Buddhist culture in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) and contemporary life.

The ancient cave murals and sculptures will come to life through dances such as "Thousand-Hands Guanyin" and "Flying Apsaras."

The original musical "Flower and Youth" tells a contemporary ethnic love story set in the Dunhuang area. "Flower songs" are a kind of ethnic singing popular in northwest China; the songs are usually about love. The musical combines folk songs, modern dance and storytelling.

In addition, an art exhibition at the Expo Foot Print Pavilion from October 25 to November 18 will provide a time tunnel taking visitors back to the days when Buddhist monks created the glorious Dunhuang cave art. The exhibition features 10 duplicates of sculptures, 30 replicas of murals and 10 unearthed relics.

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