On 18 May 2026, Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding attended and addressed the Global Linking of Dunhuang Culture — Zimbabwe Session. The event gathered over 100 participants, including officials and experts from the Foreign Affairs Office of Gansu Provincial People’s Government, Dunhuang Academy and Dunhuang Municipal Government, faculty and students from the University of Zimbabwe and Harare Polytechnic College, as well as representatives from Zimbabwe’s cultural and media sectors.

Ambassador Zhou remarked that the event served as a valuable platform for Zimbabwean friends to explore and appreciate China’s profound history and splendid civilization. It also constitutes a vivid practice to carry forward the timeless Silk Road spirit and deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and Zimbabwe. He expressed the hope that the two countries would carry on the Silk Road spirit to further advance the building of the All-Weather China-Zimbabwe Community with a Shared Future.

Dr. Wei Jianpeng, expert from Dunhuang Academy, delivered a special lecture entitled "Dunhuang and the Grottoes across Time and Space", elaborating on the artistic charm of Dunhuang grottoes, the role of the ancient Silk Road in promoting Eastern and Western cultural integration, as well as Dunhuang Academy’s efforts in cultural heritage protection and academic cooperation. Held in a cordial and vibrant atmosphere, the event enabled Zimbabwean participants at the Embassy to engage in online interactions with Chinese experts based in Gansu Province.