UNESCO is pleased to announce the winners of the second edition of the International Photo Contest "Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads".

This contest offers an exciting opportunity for young people from all over the world to capture their understanding of the shared heritage of the Silk Roads through the lens of their camera. For this edition, participants were invited to "Reveal the Silk Roads" via Gastronomy and Food Production, Music and Dance, or Traditional Sports and Games.

Scroll the page to discover the winners in each age category:

14-17 and 18-25 years old

Trading at Lok Baintan floating market on the Martapura river in Banjar District, South Kalimantan Province, Indonesia, takes place between 5:30 and 8:00 in the morning. This market is unique in that the transactions take place on the river and are not always carried out with cash, but can be undertaken via the barter of fresh fruit and vegetables. Markets occupied a crucial role on the Silk Roads, acting as sites of exchange. Not only of goods, but also of knowledge, ideas, culture and beliefs.

A scene from daily life on Huangjueping Street in Chongqing, China. Jiaotong Teahouse is the oldest and most traditional tea house in Chongqing. Tea was one of many important gastronomic elements transmitted across the Silk Roads, which today plays a crucial social role in many cultures around the world.

In Kulasekharapatnam, a small town in Tamil Nadu, India, a man dresses up as a woman Goddess and carries a hot pot with bare hands while devotees play drums. Dancing to the beat of the drums whilst holding the hot pot brings strength and spirituality. Every year on the day of Dussehra (or Vijayadashami) thousands of people gather to celebrate this ritual.

Inle lake in Myanmar is home to people who build their houses on the water. The lake sustains their livelihoods, which are based around fishing, and provides both food and shelter. Myanmar’s waterways, particularly its rivers and coastline, helped forge connections with other regions along the Silk Roads, creating a vibrant hub of cultural exchange.

Arnis is the national sport of the Philippines. It was devised by native Filipinos who used rattans, daggers, swords and other weapons for combat and self-defence. Arnis was employed by the first Filipino hero Datu Lapu-Lapu.

Wari is the most famous festival in Maharashtra, India. During this festival 500,000 to 600,000 people walk together and dance to musical instruments like the Taal.

A woman collecting olives in Derik, in Mardin Province, in the South East Anatolian Region. Olive cultivation is an important source of income for the local people in Derik district and olive oil culture, which is part of the Mediterranean diet as inscribed on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, has an important place among Turkish people.