The ancient ballet drama "Dunhuang" in Northwest China's Gansu province is one of the must-see treasures of the world.

It annually attracts numerous tourists and casts a magic spell over artists, many of whom have spent their lives protecting and preserving the artwork. A ballet drama dedicated to the charm of Dunhuang's cave art and its protectors' devotion was recently staged in Beijing to much praise.

The show premiered at Beijing's Tianqiao Art Center in late September. Presented by dancers of the National Ballet of China, it tells the story of a romance between an overseas Chinese violinist Nian Yu and a Dunhuang art protector called Wu Ming.

Nian Yu first came across a book of paintings about the Dunhuang cave art in Paris, which seduced her into coming to the Mogao Grottoes, also known as the Thousand Buddha Grottoes, in the southeast of the center of Dunhuang.

There she met and fell in love with Wu Ming, who protected the murals by copying them.

Their love bloomed in the wild desert, charmed by the beauty of the flying Apsaras portrayed in the caves. But when Nian Yu had to leave for Paris, Wu would not follow her because he couldn't afford to leave his beloved Dunhuang.

After their heart-breaking separation, Wu threw himself into saving the grotto murals but fell ill from overwork.