An artificial light source used by Chinese photographer Zhang Haiyan brought out the dimples in a 1,500-year-old statue of Bodhisattva that was smiling. When Zhang first saw the statue in the 1990s, the dimples were not visible because of the lack of light.
The dimpled statue was included in the recent photo exhibit of Zhang held at the Yungang Grottoes Research Institute. Explaining why the image became viral in Chinese social media, Zhang says, "The grinning Bodhisattva statue seems lively and adorable, and has broken China's old feudal concept that girls shouldn't reveal their teeth when smiling and feet when walking," quotes Chinadaily.
Zhang, a researcher at the institute, adds that a grinning Bodhisattva statue is a rare sight in Buddhist statue art around the world. Besides the happy face of the icon, taken from the grottoes' eighth cave, the statue shows Bodhisattva's palms together and the grin indicating a satisfied girl.
He photographed the statue in 2015, and it took Zhang several days to figure out the best angle for the photo shoot.
Shanghaidaily reports that Maitreya Bodhisattva was reincarnated as the monk Budai who was born and raised in the present-day Fenghua City, according to Chinese Buddhism. The city is where Xuedou Mountain in Zhejiang Province is found.
The website adds that Maitreya, also known as the "laughing Buddha," is a favorite Chinese icon known for its round face, long ears, squinting eyes and a perpetual smile.