Stone can speak — and preserve the memory of an age.

The Han Dynasty (206 BC–AD 220) pictorial stone reliefs from the Wu Family Shrines in Jiaxiang, Jining, Shandong province, capture scenes of social life, beliefs, rituals and cultural imagination. Carved into stone, these images offer a vivid glimpse into Han Dynasty life and the cultural memory it left behind.

Mutual learning among civilizations enriches all involved and allows beauty to be shared. Cultural traditions endure through inheritance and grow richer through exchange.

One day to go until the 2026 China International Confucius Cultural Festival and the 2026 Nishan Forum on World Civilizations. Tomorrow, civilizations meet again at Nishan in Qufu, the hometown of Confucius.