"In the 1980s and the early '90s, a lot of the foreign tourists visiting Dunhuang each year were from Japan. They were usually elderly tour groups who were very polite and would bow and express gratitude after listening to the explanations," Liu notes.

At the Dunhuang Academy, some tasks like Liu's require interacting with many people, while others involve more solitary work, quietly conducted in a secluded room.

Since graduating from the mural painting department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2010, Luo Yueming did not choose to seek a job in a big city like most of his classmates. Instead, he decided to go to Dunhuang to work as a painter copying murals.

On most workdays, he stays in his studio, meticulously depicting each stroke. When further confirmation is needed, he walks for over half an hour from the studio to the caves to carefully observe the murals in situ.

Luo relaxes on weekends, occasionally leaving the Mogao Caves for downtown Dunhuang city and wandering around the local markets, seeking artistic inspiration from the hustle and bustle of urban life.

Lu, the director, says: "When we approach these 'guardians' of Dunhuang cultural heritage, we find that they are very meticulous and serious in their work, but simple and humble in their daily lives. Their love for the site withstands the test of time."