Culture
2025.10.30 14:55 GMT+8

Stone guardians across the Pacific: Easter Island's Moai meets China's 'Big-Eared General'

Updated 2025.10.30 14:55 GMT+8
CGTN

Beep, beep, beep… signal connected! Across the Pacific, two legendary stone guardians – one from Chile, the other from China – finally break their silence for a historic conversation!

Let's meet our ancient guests:

From Easter Island, Chile, comes one of the magnificent Moai statues – crafted by the local Rapa Nui people between the 10th and 16th centuries. These towering figures stand proud and silent as eternal enigmas on that remote volcanic island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. Why were they made? How did they end up where they stand today? The mystery still fascinates and confounds.

And from Gongyi, Henan Province, China, meet the "Big-Eared General" – one of more than 1,000 stone guardians built to protect the imperial tombs of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). Once solemn sentinels of emperors, they now stand quietly amid rippling fields of golden wheat, attracting visitors from near and far.

As it turns out, these ancient guardians share more than you might imagine:

They've both watched over their lands for centuries.

Both have become iconic selfie stops for travelers.

And, most mysteriously, they continue to keep their ancient secrets safe.

Check out this AI-generated video for more!

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