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At the memorial gallery of the late Chinese artist Zhang Leping, an entire wall at the exit is covered with messages left by admirers touched by the story of Sanmao, the comic character Zhang created.

One message from a mother to her son reads: "Dear Ai Ai, you are now five years old. This is the first time your father and I have brought you to this gallery. We trust that in the future you will discover more beautiful things and that the world will treat you gently."

A teacher writes: "The story of Sanmao is such a poignant one that it will be remembered for a long time to come."