Dunhuang in the Digital Age: The Mediatization of Sacred Heritage and China’s Cultural Diplomacy

The subject of the research is the cultural interpretation of the Dunhuang phenomenon as a model for the interaction of sacred, artistic, and digital dimensions of culture in the context of contemporary cultural diplomacy in China. The focus is on the processes of mediatization and digital representation of the Mogao cave complex, regarded as a form of redefining spiritual meanings and a tool for international cultural exchange. The study analyzes how digital technologies, institutional heritage preservation strategies, and the development of creative industries—such as cultural branding, digital design, and media technologies—transform the perception of sacred art, shifting it from a religious to a publicly communicative space. Special attention is given to identifying the role of mediatized heritage in the formation of China's "soft power" and cultural brand, as well as in the development of a post-media model of culture, where spiritual, technological, and humanistic elements form a unified ecosystem of meanings. The research is based on an interdisciplinary approach that combines cultural, hermeneutic, and comparative-analytical methods, relying on concepts of cultural memory, mediatization, and cultural diplomacy, which allows for uncovering the interconnections between sacred, artistic, and digital dimensions of the Dunhuang phenomenon. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the development of a cultural concept of mediatized sacred heritage, within which Dunhuang is considered for the first time not only as an object of historical and artistic analysis but as a dynamic model of interaction between the spiritual and the digital in post-media culture. Unlike traditional art history and archaeological interpretations, the article emphasizes the communicative and diplomatic functions of digital heritage, enabling a new understanding of Dunhuang's role in China’s cultural diplomacy strategy. The functions of the Digital Dunhuang and IDP projects are comprehensively investigated as tools for shaping cultural branding and international dialogue, revealing mechanisms for transitioning sacred space into educational and mediatized contexts. The results show that mediatization does not destroy spiritual content; rather, it creates new forms of its presence in global culture. Dunhuang serves as an example of a harmonious integration of tradition and innovation, where sacred heritage becomes a resource for cultural branding, enlightenment, and the formation of a post-secular model of humanitarian interaction.