Connecting Two Spaces for Deep Practice Between East and West: Dunhuang and Arizona’s Dragonshead
In April 2026, the construction plan for the Dunhuang West “Twin Desert” retreat bases entered a new phase of advancement.
Rendering of the retreat cabins in Dunhuang, China
In 2025, Dunhuang West hosted a series of thought-leadership summits and innovation retreats in Dunhuang, Gansu, China, establishing a lasting and profound connection with the region. This year, the Dunhuang West Innovation Retreats project is partnering with our local collaborator, Dongyi Dunhuang Hotels and Resorts, to advance the construction of the first domestic “Innovation Retreat Cabins.”
Currently, the foundation for the Dunhuang retreat cabins is already in place. The project team has conducted on-site inspections in Dunhuang and is planning professional spatial renovations, with a gradual rollout and opening expected later this year.
This means that domestic innovators will no longer need to travel abroad to access these spaces. Instead, they will be able to enter a dedicated environment for deep silence, learning, and creation—all within a land that carries thousands of years of wisdom and the tradition of the retreat.
Rendering of Dragonshead Treehouse Retreat Room in the USA
Simultaneously, planning for the Dragonshead base in Arizona, USA, continues to progress. Spanning approximately 2,000 acres, this desert oasis is designed to serve as a long-term, high-intensity international retreat base, where we will continue to explore the relationship between the natural environment, silent spaces, and the training of creativity.
Dunhuang and Arizona—one in the East, one in the West, two deserts—are gradually forming a “Twin Desert” path that connects ancient wisdom with contemporary practice.
Dunhuang West | Creating usable spaces for deep practice.
