The world's largest Buddha statue, situated in southwest China,
will receive a week-long checkup via geological radar.
Carved into a cliff in Leshan, Sichuan Province, overlooking the
point where three main rivers converge, the 71-meter (234-feet)
tall Buddha statue is more than 1,200 years old.
"It is hard to say whether there is any damage to the core of
the Buddha," said Chen Bo, director of Leshan Giant Buddha
Management Committee.
He said usual examination processes can only examine the surface
of the Buddha statue and to some extent will cause harm, while
geological radar can examine deep inside, said Chen, adding it is
the first time radar has been used on a large stone cultural relic
in China.
However, the complicated exterior structure of the Buddha statue
is causing difficulties. "The geological radar can only make a
precise detection when in full contact with the surface of the
object, while most parts of the Buddha statue have a spherical
surface," said Chen.
"After discussions with experts on cultural relics, researchers
from the Chinese Academy of Science and technicians, we now have a
plan, which can ensure the safety of Buddha," the director
said.
According to Chen, the result of the scan will provide a
scientific foundation for the future treatment of the statue.
Though repair works have been carried out on the Buddha statue
several times, it has always been tough to protect it, experts
said.
The largest repair works on the Buddha statue began in 2001 and
are yet to be finished. The whole project is to cost 250 million
yuan (about US$30 million), including two million U.S. dollars in
World Bank loans.
The giant Buddha statue in Leshan was put on the World Cultural
Heritage list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1996.
(Xinhua News Agency June 8, 2006)
