The winds of the Silk Road have traversed a thousand years of sand and dust, crossing mountains and rivers vast.
Far away in the grottoes of the Gobi Desert, Qiuci is no longer content to rest quietly in history books and murals. For many, the name evokes distant caves, ancient wall paintings, and the weighty civilization of the Western Regions found in textbooks. But this time, it has "stepped out" to make its mark.
When the over-600-year-old Ming-dynasty fortress meets the thousand-year-old Qiuci murals, a cross-temporal, East-meets-West dialogue of civilizations is about to unfold. On August 20, the exhibition Qiuci and the World × Her Qiuci (「龟兹与世界 x 她的龟兹」) officially opens at the Mutianyu Great Wall Digital Museum (located on the downhill side of the service-area plaza commercial street).
※Among all Great Wall sections, Mutianyu stands out uniquely※
The Great Wall and the Silk Road — one guarded agricultural civilization, the other connected the Eurasian continent. Though seemingly separate, they are bound by shared blood. The Great Wall was more than a military defense; it indirectly safeguarded the safety and flow of the Silk Road. Along the Hexi Corridor, the Wall ran parallel to the Silk Road for a thousand li; beacon towers guided traveling merchants, and border markets became hubs of economic and cultural exchange among different peoples — an indispensable "beacon" and safeguard along the route. Among the many passes of the Great Wall, Mutianyu stands apart, long celebrated as "the most scenic stretch of the Ten-Thousand-Li Wall." First built in the first year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1368), it was established as a pass in the second year of the Yongle reign (1404) and extensively renovated during the Longqing period under Qi Jiguang. Its towering walls and watchtowers are magnificent, featuring three distinctive structural traits: double-sided crenellations, the unique Zhengguan Terrace where three watchtowers stand integrated as one, and a dense arrangement of watchtowers. It is not only a spectacular landscape but also a critical frontier stronghold guarding the imperial capital.
※Qiuci of a Thousand Years: A Pearl of Civilization in the Heart of the Silk Road※
If the Great Wall was the armor guarding the Silk Road, then Qiuci was its brilliant soul.
Qiuci (pronounced qiū cí), a major kingdom of the ancient Western Regions, corresponds to present-day Kuqa in Xinjiang — a key crossroads on the northern route of the Silk Road.
Here lies China's oldest grotto civilization: the Kizil Caves. Carved over a century earlier than Dunhuang, their murals — flying apsaras, musicians, pipa-playing donors — are breathtakingly beautiful.
Beyond murals, Qiuci was a sacred land of music and dance that nourished the Central Plains for a millennium. Qiuci music deeply influenced court music and dance of the Sui and Tang dynasties, serving as a major wellspring of Western-Regions aesthetics that captivated the Central Plains for centuries.
※Five Core Highlights: An Immersive Journey Through the Thousand-Year Silk Road※
Breaking from traditional exhibition formats, this show combines artifact restoration, live performance, light-and-shadow technology, and original merchandise to deliver an immersive feast of Silk Road civilization.
I. Restored Lost Murals Zone: View replicas of murals long scattered overseas, and grasp the thousand-year odyssey of Silk Road artifacts.
II. Her Qiuci Live Flash Mob: Experience classic Qiuci dance up close.
III. Creative Market (Major New Arrivals!): New Qiuci-themed bracelets and necklaces — wear the thousand-year color palette of the grottoes!
A collector's edition of the Restorer's Journal makes its Beijing debut. This is no ordinary notebook; from a restorer's perspective, it takes you on an immersive journey of conservation. "You're not just keeping a journal — you're restoring your everyday life."
IV. Cinematic Immersive Experience + Virtual Digital Restoration: Travel back to the ancient Kingdom of Qiuci through technology.
V. Dark-Room Light-and-Shadow Zone: Recreating the dim, soft glow of the caves, allowing an immersive, close-up look at the texture and detail of the murals.
The six-hundred-year-old Great Wall has guarded our lands and sheltered years of peace; the thousand-year-old Qiuci has carried the prosperity of the Silk Road and blended the grace of East and West. When fortress meets mural, when the Central Plains embraces the Western Regions, every cross-temporal echo of civilization will take root this August. On August 20, at the Mutianyu Great Wall Digital Museum — enjoy music and dance, admire murals, and shop for exclusive Qiuci jewelry. Gather the romance of the thousand-year Silk Road all at once. See you at the Great Wall Digital Museum!
Source reference: Shanzao Dongfang Creative Lab
