Two guests from Venice, Italy, visit the Mogao Caves, Dunhuang, on Sunday. CHEN ZEBING/CHINA DAILY

The event aims to implement the Global Civilization Initiative and build a more effective international communication system. It attracts about 200 participants, including government officials, scholars, representatives of cultural institutions, and companies from China and nine other countries.

During the event, participants discuss the opportunities and challenges of governing cultural cities, such as how to balance cultural heritage preservation and modern development.

"The greatest challenges facing cities in the 21st century are environmental sustainability … As we work to build the municipalities of the future, we focus on development that does not deplete our natural resources," says Burak Deste, general secretary of the Manisa Metropolitan Municipality, Turkiye.

He stresses that both Dunhuang and Manisa share a commitment to protecting cultural heritage.

After learning how Dunhuang uses a comprehensive sand control system to protect the Mogao Caves, he was impressed by the city's balance of tourism development and the protection of its ecological environment.