A statue of Laozi (Lao Tzu), the ancient Chinese philosopher who wrote Tao Te Ching some 2,500 years ago, has sparked a controversy among 70,000 Weibo microbloggers for depicting the sage "making a grimace."

The statue of Laozi at the Suzhou Culture and Arts Center

The two-meter sculpture placed at the Suzhou Culture and Arts Center by the side of the Jinji Lake in the city showed Laozi popping his tongue out, today's Modern Express reported.

After its photo was posted on Weibo, many netizens found it an insult to the revered philosopher and shouldn't have been displayed in public.

But Hong Kong film director Gordon Chan appreciated the work and said the sculptor is "one who really understands Laozi" because such an expression comes from an anecdote. "I think it is the best Laozi statue," he tweeted.

According to historical records, Confucius came to discuss Taoism with Laozi. The elderly teacher opened his nearly toothless mouth and said: "Hard teeth fall, soft tongue stays" as he explained the theory of soft overcomes hard.

Tian Shixin, the sculptor, also advised criticizers to read history books to understand the meaning behind, the paper said.

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