Six Centuries of Meditation? Hidden Buddha Emerges from Underwater in China

January 17, 2017

Man oh man, China’s got it all —funny statues, and statues that make you think! A surprise discovery of a Buddha statue that has been underwater for around 600 years was made in Jiangxi province of China. According to the state media, the statue was discovered after water in the reservoir fell nearly 10 meters due to renovations on a hydropower gate. The director of Research Institute of Archeology of Jiangxi Province, Xu Changqing, stated that the submersion of the statue may have been the key to its pristine condition. He argues that the water protected the Buddha statue from oxidation, weathering, and other factors that usually degrades archeological sites.
As we can see, there is a distinction between the layer of rock above and below (what used to be) the water level. This would explain how the detailed carvings were preserved for centuries. It is always cool to hear stories about archeological gems being uncovered, but this is unique. Never have I seen the head of a Buddha statue peek out of water after hundreds of years. It’s so well preserved, that I would believe it if someone told me it was carved yesterday! The spirit of Buddhist belief in eternal life is embedded in this statue and we can’t help but admire in awe!
What did you think of the statue? Let us know @WhatsTrending!