Her story is featured in The Master of Dunhuang, a three-episode documentary, currently available on the streaming site Tencent Video, which has garnered a lot of attention online.

Jointly produced by Tencent News and Dunhuang Academy, the project has turned the lens on three pairs of experts at the academy, respectively specializing in artifact restoration, archaeological research and digital recording of the grottoes.

Yang Ruichun, the project's initiator and producer, says that the production team was originally drawn to the splendid artworks in the Mogao Caves, but, after traveling to the far-flung site six times, their interest shifted to those who are devoted to protecting Dunhuang's 1,600-year-old legacy.

A poster for The Master of Dunhuang. [Photo/China Daily]

For director Li Zhenya, the documentary marks the project he has undertaken that examines the work at Dunhuang, following the celebrity-hosted documentary, The Great Shokunin, and the cultural show, The Mystery of China.

This time, however, Li and his team encountered an unexpected obstacle while attempting to interview the experts.

Recalling that most of the experts seemed shy and reluctant to engage, Li jokes that the production crew must have seemed like wolves harassing a warren of nervous rabbits.

"Dunhuang is surrounded by the vast Gobi Desert, making it more isolated than the most of the country's famous ancient sites, such as Sanxingdui (an archaeological site in Sichuan province) and the Yinxu ruins (located in Henan province)," says Li.

He explains that they believe the distinctive geographical environment makes the experts and craftsmen working at Dunhuang more focused on their work and immersed in their own archaeological world.

The documentary crew was soon forced to employ more direct means of engagement with the experts, such as volunteering to assist in the archaeological work by sweeping soil, or moving stones in excavation pits. Through dining and sharing late-night snacks together, the crew managed to get more acquainted with the researchers.

"Due to a shortage of staff, most researchers have to work until very late. Sometimes they were only available around midnight, after busy days attending meetings and writing reports, so we conducted most of the interviews at night," recalls Li.