HANGZHOU, China, July 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On the evening of July 11, the "Inner Mongolia Night & Award Ceremony of the Silk Road Online Curating Promotion" was held at China National Silk Museum in Hangzhou. The event celebrated the culmination of this year's Silk Road Online Museum (SROM) Curating Promotion, which focused on the Steppe Silk Road, marking a new chapter in the virtual platform's mission to explore and preserve the rich heritage of the Silk Roads.

Launched by China National Silk Museum and supported by over 50 museums worldwide, SROM is a collaborative digital platform dedicated to showcasing Silk Road heritage through virtual exhibitions. As a flagship program of the "Silk Road Week", SROM integrates digital collections and knowledge from museums along the historic trade routes, enabling curators to design and present exhibitions entirely online. Since its launch, the platform has hosted three successful editions, covering themes such as the "Desert and Oasis Silk Road", "Maritime Silk Road", and "Tang Dynasty Silk Road". 

This year's competition, themed "Steppe Silk Road", opened for registration on January 24, 2025, attracting 204 teams-including university students, designers, and curators-who utilized the SROM platform's virtual tools to create immersive exhibitions. After three months of preparation and expert mentorship, 53 entries were shortlisted for online display. Through a combination of expert evaluation and public voting, 11 finalists advanced to the final round. On May 29, the finalists presented their works via online presentations and Q&A sessions, with judges awarding one Grand Prize, one First Prize, four Second Prizes, and five Third Prizes. Additionally, 22 entries received Merit Prizes for their creativity. 

The award ceremony was a vibrant celebration, featuring performances by artists from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Guest Province of Honor for "2025 Silk Road Week". Attendees enjoyed traditional Mongolian horse-head fiddle (morin khuur) performances, including "Good Fortune", "Ten Thousand Horses Galloping", and classic melodies like "The Boundless Grassland", alongside cultural presentations that highlighted the region's rich heritage. 

The event not only celebrated innovative approaches to online curation but also embodied the Silk Road spirit of cultural exchange, seamlessly bridging history and technology to create a dynamic showcase of global heritage.