Industry News

DUNHUANG, Nov 3 (China Economic Net) – Pakistan and China should explore the cultural similarities they share along the ancient Silk Road and pass that understanding on to young people, a Pakistani media director told China Economic Net (CEN) in Dunhuang, northwest China.

“There is a need of the time to explore the similarities and connections between our different cultures, and that must be translated to our young people,” said Muhammad Zamir Assadi, Director of the China Desk at Lord Media Network, on the sidelines of the ongoing international cultural expo in the city.

Seeing products based on Mogao Caves patterns, including the Flying Apsara and a deer motif, Assadi said they bear similarities with the collection of Pakistan’s Taxila Museum. “Such products show the cultural connections between Pakistan and China,” he said. “Pakistan and China are both on the route of the Silk Road, and we share a lot of historical stories together.”

According to UNESCO, Taxila sat on a Silk Road branch linking China to the West, and the art of the Mogao Caves shows Gandharan influence.

Pakistan has its own heritage to share, Assadi said, from Gandhara sites in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Lahore. In July, Pakistan launched a task force to promote Gandhara heritage tourism.

Young people are key to keeping that heritage alive, he said. “If young people know the significance of history, your legacy will be carried on, and your coming generations will become guardians of your values.”

“If you want to explore the similarities between Pakistan and China, you must visit Pakistan,” he said. “You will love to see how Pakistan has preserved such historical products.”