Chinese villagers paint 1,400-year-old Buddha statues to thank gods, damaging artifacts

A set of 1,400-year-old Buddha statues in China were damaged by villagers who painted them with bright colors to “redeem a wish to the god,” officials said.

HONG KONG — A set of 1,400-year-old Buddha statues in southwest China was damaged by villagers who painted them with bright colors to “redeem a wish to the god,” officials said. 

Located in rural Nanjiang County in the province of Sichuan, the Shifeihe Buddha statues were carved in the late Northern Wei era (386-534) during the Northern and Southern Dynasties and have great academic value in the field of Buddhist culture and arts research, according to Chinese experts. 

They are the only statues in Sichuan to be carved on the surface of natural stone, researchers from the Bazhong City Cultural Relics Bureau and other organizations said. 

A video about the incident, which took place last month, that was posted last week has been trending on WeChat, a popular Chinese social media platform.

“Why are there no measures to preserve such ancient artifacts in advance? It also gives people the opportunity to paint,” a comment read.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/chinese-villagers-paint-1400-year-old-buddha-statues-rcna131416

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