By Zhou Jing

Fourteen well preserved stone carvings dating back to the mid fifteenth century were recently discovered in Zhula Village, Kongpo Gyamda County, in the Nyingchi area of Tibet, Xinhua News Agency reported today.

The biggest carving is 3.9 meters high and 2.53 meters wide; while the smallest is 0.45 meter high and 0.25 meter wide. The pieces are decorated with vivid and picturesque patterns and expressions, and have high artistic and academic value. They believed to have been made in the second half of the fifteenth century CE.

Local cultural relics departments have started surveying, positioning, photographing and mapping the location of the artifacts and have advised the local government to take measures to protect them.

Nietang Buddha, named after Mt. Nietang 40 km southwest of Lhasa City, is the biggest stone statue engraved on a cliff in Tibet.