The world's tallest Buddha in southwest China's Sichuan Province will receive another facelift
to repair damage caused by weathering and acid rain.
The 71-meter-high statue, just outside the city of Leshan, had a
blackened nose, and moss and dark streaks coated its face and body,
said Peng Xueyi, director of the Leshan Cultural Relics Management
Institute.
"Our initial research shows the phenomena resulted from the
combined effects of blossoming microbes nurtured by high humidity,
weathering, and acid rain," Peng said.
He said a group of scientists had started research on the exact
causes, and were preparing for another "facial" on the giant Buddha
next year.
"We will fix the wear and tear it suffered over the years, and
at the same time, keep its 'historical coarseness'," he added.
The Buddha statue, carved into a cliff in Leshan Mountain and
overlooking three converging rivers, was built over a 90-year
period starting the year 713, during the Tang Dynasty.
The UN-listed world cultural heritage statue has undergone
several repairs and checks. In 2001, a 250-million-yuan project was
conducted to clean the body, cement rock structure, and mend cracks
and install drainage pipes.
But the pace of weathering and damage caused by visitors has
outpaced the protection work.
"Preservation of the giant Buddha should be an enduring project,
and I think large-scale maintenance projects should be carried out
every five years," Peng said.
Meanwhile, conservationists have called on the local government
to clean up the environment of the statue.
"Only through a comprehensive reformation of the surrounding
environment can its aging process be delayed," Peng said.
The Leshan government has extended the Buddha scenic area from
2.81 square km to 17.88 square km in the last decade.
Since 2003, about 3,000 residents have been relocated from the
scenic area, and 20 coal-fired power plants, leather factories and
other small workshops have been moved.
In 2002, a 12-km bypass was built to keep car exhaust away from
the statue.
The government has planned another diversion road to keep cars
further away, and relocate the remaining 10,000 residents from the
scenic area.
(Xinhua News Agency November 7, 2007)
