BEIJING: The tallest Buddha statue, also known as Leshan Buddha, in southwest China'sSichuan Province, is set to receive another facelift. Damage caused by weathering and acid rain to the 71-metre tall 28-metre wide 1,280-year-old statue is being repaired as part of a maintenance project.
The UN-listed world cultural heritage statue has a blackened nose, and moss and dark streaks coated on its face and body, Shri Peng Xueyi, director of the Leshan Cultural Relics Management Institute, said. ?Our research shows the phenomena resulted from the combined effects of blossoming microbes nurtured by high humidity, weathering, and acid rain,? he said.
?We will fix the wear and tear it suffered over the years, and at the same time, keep its ?historical coarseness?,? Shri Peng was quoted as saying by Xinhua. The statue, carved from a cliff in Leshan Mountain and overlooking three rivers, was built over 90 years from 713 AD, during the prosperous period of the Tang Dynasty. (http://deccan.com/World/WorldNews.asp?#Buddha to get facelift)
