Fan Yanyan shows some of her designs inspired by the folk art and history of the Silk Road in her studio in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. [Photo by Huo Yan/China Daily]

"There were not many tourists back then. Dunhuang was a quiet and bleak town," the 38-year-old recalls.

"I felt as if I was talking with the ancient painters while making facsimiles of their works in the caves."

The two years of "lonely cultivation" deepened her understanding of art and history, and gave her inspiration, even though she was still uncertain of her future career.

Dunhuang's tourism boom after 2002 made her feel uncomfortable. So, she left for Beijing to work as a designer for a scarf import-export company.

"I appreciate that the job gave me a chance to paint what I learned in Dunhuang on scarves," she says.

She quit in 2008, eager for a less commercial opportunity and outlet for her talent. Before that, she got married and became a mother.

"Although I was in Beijing, my soul had never left those caves in Dunhuang," she says.