Plum blossoms in full bloom in Xuedou Mountain scenic area in Ningbo's Fenghua district. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 2022 Xuedou Mountain Maitreya Cultural Festival in Ningbo's Fenghua district ended on Dec 25. 

The five-day event consisted of 12 activities including forums, a concert and a cultural exhibition.

A Fenghua-born monk nicknamed Budai, which means cloth bag in Chinese, is considered to be an incarnation of Maitreya, the future Buddha, as he was always seen with a big bag that promised goodies.

Maitreya, also known as Sakyamuni Buddha or Laughing Buddha, is associated with the image of a jovial figure with a big belly, grinning from ear to ear. 

The famous Buddha Maitreya statue on Xuedou Mountain in Fenghua district is the biggest copper statue of its kind in the world.

In recent years, Fenghua has been making strong efforts to spread Maitreya culture across the world. The district has to date carried out Maitreya cultural exchange with more than 50 countries and regions around the world.