Facelift for world’s tallest ancient Buddha statue in China
The world’s tallest ancient Buddha statue, suffering from years of
environmental damage, will get its latest facelift to fix damage from
weathering and acid rain.
The 71-metre (237-foot) Leshan Buddha, in the southwestern province
of Sichuan, is looking “somewhat battered” with a blackened nose, and
with moss and dark streaks coating its face and body, official Xinhua
news agency said.
The damage was due to acid rain, weathering and high humidity, Peng
Xueyi, director of the Leshan Cultural Relics Management Institute, told
Xinhua. A team of scientists is currently carrying out preparation work
for repairs next year, he said.
The Buddha, carved into a cliff face overlooking the point where the
Dadu and Min rivers meet, was built over a 90-year period beginning in
713, during the Tang Dynasty.
It is 16 metres taller than the bigger of two giant carved Buddhas in
Bamiyan, Afghanistan, both of which were destroyed in March 2001 by the
then hardline ruling Taliban which considered them unIslamic.
Beijing, Wednesday, AFP |
