This summer, one of China’s most celebrated archaeological discoveries will come to Guangzhou for its first large-scale presentation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
“Qingzhou Smile: Buddhist Images of Qingzhou, China” will open at the Guangzhou Museum of Art on June 20, 2026, and run through December 19, 2026.
The exhibition brings together 62 masterpieces of Buddhist sculpture unearthed at the Longxing Temple site in Qingzhou and in nearby Zhucheng, of which 22 are national first-class cultural relics. Dating from the Northern Wei Dynasty through the Northern Song Dynasty, the works span nearly 600 years and trace the evolution of Buddhist sculpture in China.
The discovery of more than 400 Buddhist statues in a cache at the Longxing Temple site in 1996 stunned the archaeological world. Jessica Rawson, a renowned scholar, remarked that the discovery meant that “the history of world art should be rewritten.”
At the heart of the exhibition is the iconic “Qingzhou Smile”—a gentle expression that has captivated audiences worldwide and become a symbol of Chinese aesthetic beauty. The sculptures have been exhibited at major museums across Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia, earning international acclaim for their artistic excellence and spiritual depth.
Dates: June 20–December 19, 2026 (closed on Mondays)
Venue: Hall 1, Guangzhou Museum of Art (广州艺术博物院)
Ticket: RMB 78 per person
Come face-to-face with the “Chinese Smile” of 1,500 years ago and experience a masterpiece of Chinese civilization.
Author | Liu Lingzhi
Video editor | Liu Lingzhi
Photo | Guangzhou Museum of Art