BEIJING, Sept. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A report from China Daily

Gansu province in Northwest China once again stands on an important stage as the eighth Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo is to be held in Dunhuang city from Saturday to Monday. As a comprehensive international expo themed around cultural exchange and cooperation within the Belt and Road Initiative, the event has facilitated BRI co-development, promoted Dunhuang culture and increased Chinese cultural influence.

He Xiaozu, director of the Gansu provincial culture and tourism department, said: “Gansu has successively held seven sessions of the Dunhuang cultural expo. Nearly 10,000 guests from more than 120 countries and regions have participated in the event, which featured a series of cultural exchange activities such as forums, exhibitions, and performances. It has played an important role in promoting cultural integration, thought exchange and emotional connection among people of the countries and regions involved in the BRI, and also in telling China’s stories well and expanding the influence of Chinese traditional culture.”

This year’s expo has invited more than 1,000 domestic and foreign guests to participate and will organize 17 activities across seven categories, such as meetings and talks, cultural exhibitions, art performances and investment promotions. The 2025 Dunhuang Forum will take place concurrently, comprising six types of forums and 12 thematic activities.

The exhibition at this year’s expo will cover a total area of about 24,000 square meters, showcasing the latest achievements in world cultural heritage preservation and Dunhuang studies. It will also feature arts, intangible cultural heritage innovations and local customs from countries involved in the BRI, while highlighting the results of Gansu’s efforts in intangible cultural heritage protection and new cultural and creative products.

Historical heritage

Gansu has a rich historical and cultural heritage and places emphasis on the protection of it. The province supports Dunhuang Academy in becoming a model for world cultural heritage protection and a leading center for Dunhuang studies. The province also promotes the deep integration of culture and tourism, aiming to develop the cultural tourism industry into a pillar sector.

In the vast land of Gansu, there are UNESCO world cultural heritage sites such as Mogao Grottoes, one of the top 10 archaeological discoveries recognized by Archaeology magazine in the US in 2019, a total of 16,895 immovable relics, and three national archaeological site parks. It also boasts 8,809 representative items and 13,049 representative inheritors of intangible cultural heritage at different levels.

It has always given priorities to the protection of cultural heritage and advanced the utilization and inheritance of such heritage.

The fifth batch of 285 provincial-level intangible cultural heritage representative projects was announced in late 2024. A brick-carving workshop in the Linxia Hui autonomous prefecture was recognized as a national-level intangible cultural heritage productive protection demonstration center in March 2024.

The province has continuously implemented a training plan for inheritors of intangible cultural heritage, with 16 people selected for the sixth batch of national-level inheritors and nine included in the first national list for “youth intangible cultural heritage video creation”.

These remarkable achievements collectively depict a vibrant picture of the inheritance and development of intangible cultural heritage in Gansu, showcasing the region’s unique charm.

The province has used eight cultural brands as a tool to craft a cultural matrix that enhances the influence of Gansu’s culture. Among the brands are the ceremony of worshiping Fuxi, one of China’s legendary ancestors, the Dunhuang cultural expo, Siku Quanshu (Complete Library in Four Sections), the magazine Duzhe (Readers), a dance drama named Flower Rain on the Silk Road and a documentary called Hexi Corridor.

The 2025 ceremony in tribute to Fuxi captured the attention of Chinese people at home and abroad. People gathered in Tianshui city, commemorating the cultural ancestor in a solemn atmosphere, and strengthened their cultural identity.

The Wensu Pavilion duplicate of Siku Quanshu, a comprehensive collection of Chinese traditional culture, has been preserved intact after centuries. Now, the second phase of its digital photocopying publication project has completed, obtaining data files that meet the standards for photocopying and database construction and can be developed and utilized in multiple forms.

Young people are a critical baton in the “relay race” of cultural inheritance. A subsidiary of Duzhe Publishing and Media Corp published a children’s story and several books for young students’ urban study tours, which conveyed traditional culture and contributed to the development of Gansu into a culturally strong province.

A new version of the classic dance drama Flower Rain on the Silk Road was staged recently. The creative team integrated more modern artistic expressions while retaining those ingrained classic elements, offering the audience a new visual feast.

The launch of the 4K ultrahigh-definition version of Hexi Corridor has again brought this documentary into the spotlight, allowing more people to fall in love with this magical land. With solid steps in cultural relic protection, the continuous inheritance of intangible cultural heritage, and the development of cultural brands, Gansu’s cultural development is advancing toward new heights and writing a chapter of inheritance and innovation in the new era.

The province has boosted cultural relics survey work, gaining a thorough understanding of its cultural resources. It completed a field investigation of the fourth national cultural relics survey, discovering 4,576 new cultural relic clues. Additionally, the construction of the Hexi Corridor national heritage route, the Jiayu Pass Great Wall national cultural relics protection and utilization demonstration area, and some national archaeological site parks are steadily progressing.

This series of work is making the network of cultural heritage protection in Gansu increasingly dense, which allows ancient cultures to have enduring vitality in the new era.

Art blooms

In recent years, Gansu’s artistic stage has seen many excellent works, laying a foundation for the development of a culturally strong province through quality creations.

The new play, whose name can be translated as The Light of Hadapu, is set when the Red Army’s Long March passed through Hadapu, Gansu in 1935, showcasing the spirit of the Long March through a blend of characters and historical moments.

Since its premiere, it has received enthusiastic audience responses and helped promote the Red culture. It was selected as a participating play in the ongoing 19th China Theatre Festival, showcasing the charm of Gansu’s Red culture on a national stage.

The large-scale historical documentary, whose name can be translated as Zuo Zongtang Recovers Xinjiang, is another masterpiece. It is centered on the 1870s historical event in which Zuo Zongtang led the army of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) to recover Xinjiang and consolidate the northwestern borderland. The documentary artistically recreates the heroic deeds of Qing Dynasty soldiers who fought to defend national territorial integrity in challenging conditions through different scenes.

Meanwhile, key productions including an acrobatic drama, a musical, and a play are being created and rehearsed, continuing to interpret regional charm and the spirit of the times, enriching the artistic matrix of Gansu.

The inheritance and revival of classic dramas has also helped develop Gansu into a culturally strong province. A Long Opera piece, based on the story of a fisherwoman who avenges her father’s death in the late Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), showcases the unique artistic charm of Long Opera through classic scenes.

Since its premiere in 1959, it has been performed more than 3,000 times, with 10 million audience views. Since its inclusion in the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s key traditional (classic) drama revival plan in 2024, young actors and actresses, under the guidance of influential artists Lei Tongxia and Dou Fengxia, have honed their singing and choreography, making the classic more in line with modern aesthetic needs while preserving the essence of the original play.

Also, the “Sightseeing Gansu with the Pace of Art” series of activities has benefited local people and helped develop a culturally strong province. An intangible cultural heritage costume display event, together with a model contest featuring Tibetan costumes, was held in a scenic area in the Gannan Tibetan autonomous prefecture in July.

At the Mars Base 1 in Jinchang city, music carnival activities provided the audience with a show that blended rock and rap in August. The banks of the Yellow River were equally lively recently, with 13 cultural performances held, offering art forms such as song and dance as well as acrobatics.

From quality creations and classic inheritance to art exhibitions, performances and cultural activities that benefit the public, Gansu uses art as a brush to paint a picture of itself building into a culturally strong province, allowing the charm of its culture to bloom in the new era.

Public services

Gansu has built 104 public libraries, 106 cultural halls, 59 art galleries, 1,354 comprehensive cultural stations in towns (subdistricts), and 17,114 comprehensive cultural service centers in villages (communities). It has created three national public cultural service system demonstration zones and built 262 museums.

This series of cultural facilities covering urban and rural areas, quality services, and a nationally leading museum density helps showcase Gansu’s profound cultural background.

This summer, the Gansu Provincial Museum offered visitors temporary exhibitions such as European knight armor and culture and an immersive experience of cave art. At the memorial hall of the Eighth Route Army’s Lanzhou office, a thematic exhibition on the northwestern international transportation line during the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) attracted numerous visitors, revisiting the arduous years through precious relics and detailed historical materials.

From cities to villages, public cultural services are continuously expanding, allowing members of the public to access quality cultural resources.

In the first half of 2025, Gansu launched 11,136 cultural activities, including performances, live broadcasts and lectures. Among them were 3,442 Spring Festival-themed public cultural activities, 5,898 sessions that brought opera to the countryside and 1,032 events on public reading.

While promoting cultural benefits for the people, Gansu also focuses on high-quality cultural tourism development, building a domestically and internationally influential tourist destination and creating a nationally important cultural protection and inheritance center.

It advances key tasks such as the construction of the Yellow River cultural tourism belt; the creation of the Hexi Corridor national heritage route; the protection, inheritance and use of cultural and natural heritage; and the revitalization and utilization of historical and cultural heritage in traditional villages. Gansu hopes to accelerate its transformation from a province rich in cultural and tourism resources to a strong cultural and tourism province, continuously converting cultural superiority into development advantages.

Culture is a bond that connects people. Gansu uses cultural services to deepen exchanges and integration among various ethnic groups, making it an important vehicle for forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation.

This year, Gansu organized song and dance performances and opera beloved by the public to convey a message of national unity. In 11 A-level scenic areas, there are 24 “check-in” points featuring Chinese cultural symbols.

This recognition highlights NEXTDC’s strategic focus on AI-ready data centers, regional expansion, and building sustainable digital infrastructure across Australia.

SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Frost & Sullivan is pleased to announce that NEXTDC has been awarded the 2025 Australian Competitive Strategy Leadership Recognition in the data center services industry for its outstanding achievements in strategy development, innovation and execution. This recognition highlights NEXTDC’s sustained market leadership in delivering secure, sustainable and high-performance infrastructure while accelerating Australia’s transition to a digitally connected and AI-enabled economy.

This recognition highlights NEXTDC’s sustained market leadership in delivering secure, sustainable and high-performance infrastructure while accelerating Australia’s transition to a digitally connected and AI-enabled economy.

Frost & Sullivan evaluates companies through a rigorous benchmarking process across two core dimensions: strategy effectiveness and strategy execution. NEXTDC excelled in both, demonstrating a cohesive strategy aligned with emerging trends in artificial intelligence, regional digitization, and sustainable infrastructure, while executing with precision and scale. “NEXTDC has made bold, timely investments that set the pace for AI infrastructure readiness in Australia. Its strategic push into high-density computing and regional infrastructure development underscores a vision well ahead of market curves,” said Nishchal Khorana, associate partner at Frost & Sullivan.

Guided by a long-term growth strategy focused on national infrastructure expansion and next-generation AI computing, NEXTDC has distinguished itself in a market increasingly shaped by the demands of hyperscale workloads and sovereign cloud solutions. The company has strengthened its footprint with the development of over 20 data centers across Australia and is actively expanding internationally. Projects like the purpose-built AI factory (S6) in Sydney and high-capacity expansions in Melbourne reflect NEXTDC’s strategic agility in addressing evolving customer needs.

Innovation lies at the heart of NEXTDC’s approach. From purpose-built mission-critical facilities to pioneering support for ultra-high rack power densities (up to 600 kW, targeting 1000 kW), the company provides infrastructure optimized for AI training, inference, HPC and advanced analytics. Facilities are equipped with closed- and open-loop liquid cooling systems tailored to support high-performance computing environments.

“We are deeply honoured to receive this recognition from Frost & Sullivan. It reflects the trust our customers place in NEXTDC and the passion of our people to innovate and lead in the data centre services industry,” Craig Scroggie, CEO, NEXTDC said. “At the heart of everything we do is our brand promise, which is to build tomorrow’s critical digital infrastructure underpinned by ‘Scale, Speed, Sustainability, Security and Sovereignty’.

“These principles guide us in delivering operational certainty, ensuring our hyperscale and future-ready solutions that help our hyperscale, Government, enterprise and IT industry customers create strategic advantage in an accelerating digital economy.”       

NEXTDC’s unwavering focus on customer value and sustainability further cements its market leadership. The company offers real-time self-service portals, such as AXON and ONEDC, enabling secure cloud interconnectivity and infrastructure control. It also has a 5-star NABERS energy rating, supported by advanced energy efficiency and water recycling systems across its sites.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents the Competitive Strategy Leadership Recognition to a company that demonstrates outstanding performance in developing and executing strategy, resulting in improved market share, customer satisfaction, and competitive positioning. This recognizes organizations that are setting the benchmark for growth, innovation, and operational excellence.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Recognitions acknowledge companies in regional and global markets for demonstrating superior leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts evaluate market participants through in-depth interviews, analyses, and extensive secondary research to identify excellence across performance criteria.

About Frost & Sullivan

For six decades, Frost & Sullivan has been world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders, and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, megatrends, new business models, and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion.

Contact:
Tarini Singh
E: Tarini.Singh@frost.com 

ABOUT NEXTDC

NEXTDC is an ASX 100-listed technology company and Asia’s most innovative Data Centre-as-a-Service provider. We are building the infrastructure platform for the digital economy, delivering the critical power, security and interconnection capability for global cloud computing providers, enterprise and government.

NEXTDC is recognised globally for the design, construction and operation of Australia’s only network of Uptime Institute certified Tier IV facilities, and the only data centre operator in the Southern Hemisphere to achieve Tier IV Gold certification for Operational Sustainability. NEXTDC has a strong focus on sustainability and operational excellence through renewable energy sources and delivering world-class operational efficiency. Our data centres have been engineered to deliver exceptional levels of efficiency and the industry’s lowest Total Cost of Operation through NABERS 5-star energy efficiency. NEXTDC as a company has been a certified carbon neutral organisation under the Australian Government’s Climate Active program.

Our Cloud Centre partner ecosystem is Australia’s most dynamic digital marketplace, comprising >700 carriers, cloud providers and IT service providers, enabling local and international customers to source and connect with cloud platforms, service providers and vendors to build complex hybrid cloud networks and scale their critical IT infrastructure services.

NEXTDC is where AI lives™.

To learn more, visit https://www.nextdc.com 

DUBAI, UAE and WESTBROOK, Maine, Sept. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Raiven Capital (Dubai) announces a strategic investment in Vertical Harvest, Inc., a vertical farming company recently profiled by The Washington Post as leading Vertical Farming 2.0.

farm floor

Vertical Harvest’s new flagship farm in Westbrook, Maine, demonstrates scale and efficiency: producing the equivalent of 250 acres of traditional farmland on just half an acre, using 95% less water, with the lowest energy consumption per pound of food. With partners Elevated Signals and Siemens advanced digital systems, Vertical Harvest built a replicable, scalable platform for sustainable food production in the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) space.

“Traditional agriculture is at a breaking point,” said Supreet Manchanda, Founding Partner at Raiven Capital. “Vertical Harvest is reinventing not only how we grow food, but where and by whom. Their farms represent scalable infrastructure for the future, and we see powerful applications of such Climatech solutions across the Middle East and beyond.”

Without AI, CEA is labor and energy heavy making unit economics very shaky. AI shifts CEA closer to viable Climatech where resource use becomes highly efficient, margins improve radically, and scalability rises. Raiven treats AI + CEA as a bundle, as inseparable as in autonomous vehicles or drug discovery.

More than a technology story, Vertical Harvest embeds inclusive employment into their operating model. By creating tailored careers for underrepresented workers, including people with disabilities, the company turns high-tech farming into an engine of social mobility.

“Our farms don’t just grow food. They grow futures,” said Nona Yehia, CEO and Co-Founder of Vertical Harvest. “We are proving agriculture can be cutting-edge and fundamentally human-centered.”

“In much of the world, food security is national security,” added Paul Dugsin, Founding Partner at Raiven Capital. “Vertical Harvest is not just transforming agriculture; it is driving cultural and financial change by strengthening economies while building resilience.”

With Raiven Capital’s Dubai based innovation hub and global reach, Vertical Harvest is positioned to expand its model, delivering food sovereignty, economic inclusion, and climate resilience in smart cities worldwide.

About Vertical Harvest
Vertical Harvest designs, builds, and operates vertical farms, fusing controlled environment agriculture with inclusive employment and proprietary AI systems. Learn more at verticalharvestfarms.com.

About Raiven Capital
Raiven Capital is a global multi-fund venture platform investing in AI, IoT and Climatech. With hubs in Silicon Valley, Toronto and Dubai, Raiven backs bold founders reinventing industries.  Learn more at raivencapital.com.

Media contact: press@raivencapital.com 

New Building

BEIJING, Sept. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A report from China Daily

This summer, the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot in Dunhuang in Northwest China’s Gansu province gained widespread attention from tourists due to its starry night views. As night fell, a concert began. Tourists gathered on the towering dunes, singing heartily along to the music. Some turned on their phone flashlights, which shimmered in harmony with the night sky. The collective singing pierced through the darkness romantically, accompanied by a heart-warming light show.

City brands

The Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic sites have been renowned far and wide for more than 1,000 years. Mingsha Mountain, featuring rugged ridges, has a base composed of gravel topped with fine sand in five colors — red, yellow, green, black and white — blending into a brilliant spectrum.

Remarkably, the sand here “can sing”. It is speculated that the mountain emits enchanting sounds due to the mica in the sand grains or the friction and resonance of pitted particles. This phenomenon is also the origin of the name Mingsha Mountain, which means “singing sand mountain” in Chinese. The natural topography of the Mingsha Mountain provided the concert with exceptional acoustic effects.

The Crescent Spring, nestled within Mingsha Mountain, derives its name from its resemblance to a crescent moon. Although located in the desert and surrounded by sand dunes, the spring has never been buried by shifting sands nor dried up through evaporation over thousands of years.

Currently, the Dunhuang city government is using its rich tourism resources to advance the “two cities and two hubs” plan, positioning Dunhuang as a city of culture, a city of art and a hub for cultural creativity and exhibitions.

The Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot now covers 76.82 square kilometers and is recognized as a national 5A-level tourist attraction. There is also a slope known as the “fairy slope”. Visitors there dress as feitian — the flying apsaras depicted in Dunhuang murals — or as princesses from Western countries and dance to the sound of camel bells, while photographers capture these enchanting moments.

The Dunhuang Press and the Dunhuang Book Center stand as key cultural landmarks. They offer a quiet and homely atmosphere, inviting visitors to explore their collections and read in peace. Nearly 10,000 types of cultural and creative products have been sold here, bringing Dunhuang’s profound history to life for a modern audience.

The Dunhuang International Convention and Exhibition Center, Dunhuang Theater and Dunhuang International Hotel form a cluster of infrastructure supporting the local exhibition economy. The Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo, which has attracted participants from around the world, has become another key platform for cultural exchange.

Guardians of culture

Preserving cultural roots remain a commitment of the Dunhuang people. The history of the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang dates back approximately 1,600 years. Since then, artisans from successive dynasties have spent over a millennium carving there. These caves feature fluttering ribbons and flying apsaras, the well-known nine-colored deer, exquisite paintings of the Qianshou Guanyin (Thousand-Hand Bodhisattva), valuable historical records on Dunhuang manuscripts and diverse painted sculptures with distinctive expressions from different dynasties.

The millennium-old cultural treasure trove of ancient art is now digitally preserved. As an effective measure to protect the Mogao Caves, a digital library was launched for a worldwide audience, making more than 6,500 digital archives from the Mogao Caves, other cave sites, and the Dunhuang Library Cave available globally.

With just a click, people can browse ultrahigh-resolution images of the caves. The platform has attracted visitors from 78 countries, generating more than 23 million visits.

Relying on the digital caves, users can engage in role-playing through different eras, interact with historical figures and witness the evolution of the caves from the late Tang Dynasty (618-907) to the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

The Dunhuang Academy, a national institution for the conservation, management, and research of the Mogao Caves, launched a digital immersive exhibition in 2023 in collaboration with tech giant Tencent to help bring the stories of Dunhuang to the public. Users wearing virtual reality glasses can view the murals and details of Cave 285 up close. Using the VR device, they can also “fly” to the ceiling, immerse themselves in the storyline of the murals, and experience the charm of Dunhuang culture.

Art reinterpretation

The reinterpretation of culture is another driving force behind the development of the tourism experience. Drawing on historical themes, contemporary artists have created awe-inspiring masterpieces.

The classic dance drama Flower Rains Along Silk Road, based on Dunhuang murals and the ancient Silk Road, features images such as a flying apsara playing the pipa lute with a reversed hand. It has been performed in more than 40 countries and regions. Hailed as a “model of Chinese ethnic dance drama”, the performance has become a symbol of cultural exchanges with the world.

The dance drama Qianshou Qianyan, staged in Dunhuang, depicts flying apsaras coming down to the earth. Together with three other resident performance programs — Dunhuang Celebration, Encore Dunhuang and Ancient Sound of Dunhuang — they are praised by tourists as “four must-see performances in Dunhuang”.

Songs of a Golden Age, the international touring version of Ancient Sound of Dunhuang, has been gaining international attention since its premiere on Oct 30, 2024. Using music as its language, the performance initiates a global dialogue that spans millennia. The orchestra brings together musicians from diverse backgrounds blending elements of music from China’s Han (206 BC-AD 220) and Tang dynasties, Xinjiang Muqam performing art, raga from Western regions, and Greek music to create works that embody both traditional and modern aesthetics. Music becomes a cultural ambassador, bringing East and West together.

Currently, Dunhuang culture has also entered campuses, where students read Dunhuang literature, practice Dunhuang calligraphy, recite Dunhuang poetry, sing Dunhuang songs, paint Dunhuang murals, perform Dunhuang dances, explore Dunhuang landmarks and tell Dunhuang stories.

Down-to-earth life

As night falls and lights begin to glow, the Dunhuang Night Market comes alive with a vibrant picture, presenting a dazzling nighttime life.

The streets are bustling with crowds, drawing visitors from all corners of the world. Some weave through the various stalls, selecting souvenirs that keep the memory of their visit alive, while others sit at roadside food stands, trying out authentic Dunhuang delicacies. The down-to-earth market activity brings Dunhuang culture into everyday life, generating a tangible, accessible and shareable way of living.

Tang Dynasty-style streets are adorned with red lanterns that cast a warm glow from every storefront. The food area is a symphony of enticing smells: the rich fragrance of freshly baked meat, crispy shells of pies and juicy fillings, the savory scent of snacks made from local sand onions, and the sweet-tangy aroma of apricot juice, which shines in transparent cups with its inviting and vibrant color.

Beyond the culinary delights, the market’s handicraft section is equally captivating. Luminous cups gleam under the lights, exquisite wood carvings attest the artisans’ meticulous skills, and silk scarves inspired by Dunhuang murals, dazzle with their lively colors and intricate patterns.

Artisans create their works on-site. Their focused expressions and skilled techniques attract crowds of onlookers. With their tools, they bring Dunhuang’s culture and art to life.

Young people stroll through the Dunhuang Night Market in hanfu clothing adorned with mural-inspired elements, immersing themselves in the charm of the cultural corridor and the scenery reminiscent of the ancient dynasties.

Land of abundance

Dunhuang is rich in melons and fruits. In the Gobi oasis, the temperature differences between day and night create the distinctive Dunhuang flavor. Li Guang apricots are known for being sweet and juicy, and Dunhuang Li Guang Apricots are officially recognized as a geographical indication product, a type of intellectual property that marks a product’s specific origin and the qualities or reputation tied to that place. The fruit is also included in the country’s catalog of “famous, special, excellent, and new-type” agricultural products.

Mingshan dates, which capture the essence of the desert sun, are as red as agate, with thick flesh and small pits. Yangguan grapes, cultivated in the desert and nourished by snowmelt from the Qilian Mountains, are available in many varieties and have also been recognized as a geographical indication product.

Dunhuang Ziyan Peaches, crisp in texture and sweet in taste, are beloved by people of all ages and celebrated as the queen of Gobi peaches. According to legend, these peaches trace their origin back to the peach banquet of the goddess Xiwangmu. In the story, the peaches ripened only once every three years, making them extraordinarily rare and precious. Later, changes in climate caused the quality of Ziyan Peaches to decline.

One day, Xiwangmu had a dream. In a faraway land, she saw a golden sand mountain standing beside a clear, emerald-green spring. Around this spring lay an oasis where watermelons could grow, and she believed the land must also be suitable for cultivating Ziyan Peaches. She sent her divine messenger, the Sanqing Bird, to find this place. Flying over Sanwei Mountain in Dunhuang, the bird saw the land in dream, where the oasis would be filled with fragrant melons and fruits. Delighted by this vision, Xiwangmu commanded the Sanqing Bird to scatter the seeds of high-quality Ziyan Peaches across the skies above Mingsha Mountain. The seeds took root and flourished in the oasis by the spring. With abundant sunshine and a long frost-free season, the peaches thrived, growing into an exceptional variety that eventually became a celebrated local specialty.

Innovation-driven development

In the western Gobi of Dunhuang, Shouhang High-tech Energy Technology, an enterprise engaged in research and development of solar thermal power, has built a 100-megawatt molten salt tower solar thermal power plant. The tower-type solar thermal power generation technology introduced by Shouhang has spread a “blue ocean” of photovoltaic panels across the Gobi Desert, protecting the fragile ecosystem while injecting green energy into industrial development.

Deploying 12,000 heliostats arranged in concentric circles around a 260-meter-high heat absorption tower, the heliostats in sum cover a total area of over 1.4 million square meters. Each mirror consists of 35 sub-mirrors. Paired with high-precision transmission mechanisms that accurately track sunlight and reflect it to the tower top, the mirrors are heating molten salt to achieve solar thermal power generation. During the day, the plant generates electricity while storing heat and at night, it continues to supply power using the stored thermal energy.

The plant is designed to generate 390 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 350,000 metric tons each year. It transforms the desert into an “energy oasis” and is the first 100 MW solar thermal power plant put into operation in China.

In addition, smart irrigation systems are bringing new vitality to the desert oasis. With innovations in desert-control technology applied to the shifting dunes, the vision of “deserts recede, humans move in” has become a reality, creating a strong ecological barrier to safeguard cultural heritage. Drone inspections and satellite remote sensing technologies are now monitoring the growth of shelterbelts in real time, strengthening the outcomes of environmental initiatives such as the Three-North Shelterbelt Program. These technological advances ensure that every inch of Dunhuang’s land remains protected, reflecting the harmonious coexistence of oasis and civilization.

Guangdong Huitian Aerospace Technology, in collaboration with the Dunhuang city government, launched the “land aircraft carrier” ecosystem recruitment program on Aug 28, aiming to recruit partners nationwide to promote the diversified development of a low-altitude flying ecosystem. This recruitment plan covers the entire business chain, including exhibition and sales, delivery, flight, training, and services, marking a crucial step for the company in commercial layout and user experience optimization.

Industry insiders believe the project shows that the company is leveraging industry chain resources to build a closed-loop ecosystem involving hardware, services and scenarios, paving the way for large-scale operations in the low-altitude economy sector and offering new opportunities.