Smiles across centuries: Chinese artifacts still speaking to the world

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A statue of Guanyin displayed at the Xianying Temple in Inner Mongolia on April 8, 2025 /VCG

A ceramic figurine at the Chengdu Museum in Sichuan Province on December 23, 2023 /VCG

A painted wooden headed sculpture of Guanyin from the Song Dynasty housed at the National Museum of China in Beijing on March 12, 2024 /VCG

A Northern Wei Dynasty clay Buddhist face sculpture at the Luoyang Museum in Henan Province on October 5, 2023 /VCG

May 8 marks World Smile Day, a day designated by the World Mental Health Organization to inspire acts of kindness and goodwill. In China, cultural relics preserved through the centuries still wear remarkably vivid smiles today. From serene Buddhist statues to lively ceramic figurines, these ancient faces offer an intimate connection between the past and the present through shared human emotion.

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