Artists take a photo at the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake scenic spot on Nov 2. [Photo provided to silkroadexpo.gogansu.com]

Artists performing at the 9th Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo staged interactive flash mobs at Dunhuang Night Market and the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake scenic spot on Nov 2.

The roving, cross-genre performances extended the expo's artistic energy from theaters to scenic spots and city streets.

At 4 pm, the first flash mob unfolded by Crescent Lake. Artists from Jiangxi, Xinjiang and, Gansu in China, as well as Belarus in Eastern Europe and the United States, joined in the event. Belarusian folk melodies met Ganju Opera's water-sleeve movements, while Xinjiang dance rhythms blended with American campus songs.

Flash mobs unfolded at three points in Dunhuang Night Market at 8 pm. At the north entrance, dancers from Northwest Minzu University took the stage with ethereal water-and-moon imagery while Xinjiang Art Theater and Subei Mongolian Ulaan Mochir energized the crowd.

At the overpass, Lanzhou Grand Theater and Gansu Provincial Song and Dance Theater reinterpreted Dunhuang flying apsaras, while Dunhuang Ancient Music Workshop restored ancient melodies. Along the main corridor, ethnic music and dance presented folk styles.

The roving performances showed how artists from countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative interact and learn from one another. A Shanghai visitor said the night felt like a world music festival, with different cultures meeting and warming people's hearts.