An ancient 600-year old Buddha statue was recently discovered in a water reservoir in Jiangxi Province, China. The head of the statue emerged when the water levels went down. Could this be just the tip of the iceberg? This could be another tourist attraction that travelers should really watch out for.
According to CNN, one of the local villagers spotted the head of the Buddha when the water levels went down at least 10 meters. The head is carved into a cliff, leaning against it while facing the lake. Now, a lot of visitors are flocking to the site because of the mystery that the statue brings.
After the discovery, an archeological team searched the area to learn more about the mysterious statue. China Topix reported that the statue is just the tip of another hidden historical edifice. The statue is 12.5 feet or 3.8 meters tall and studies suggest that the architectural design belonged to the Ming Dynasty. In fact, the statue could even date back as early as the Yuan Dynasty.
There was also a base of a temple hall discovered and local records are leading to the conclusion that the ruins are part of an ancient town named Xiaoshi. Research Institute of Archeology director Xu Changqing also said that an archeological team is proposing a preservation plan.
Many people are wondering how the statue survived for hundreds of years. Fox 5 reported that the water could have helped preserve the materials from oxidation, weather changes and other factors.
Local officials said that the Buddha statue was built back in ancient times to serve as a protector when river currents were rapidly flowing. However, laws about heritage site protection weren't strictly implemented at that time so the statue was sunk underwater in 1960 when the water reservoir was built.
But now that the tip of the 600-year-old Buddha is emerging once more, local officials are trying to preserve this historical site. It would be another reason for travelers and sight-seekers to rejoice.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
