1400-Year-Old Buddha Statue Painted in Bright Colors... 'Restoration Disaster'

Local Residents "Painted in Good Faith"
Authorities "Strict Punishment Difficult"

A 'restoration disaster' occurred in China where paint was used to draw clothes on a 1,400-year-old ancient Buddha statue. The individuals who painted the statue were local residents in their 70s and 80s, who reportedly believed their actions were a good deed and a way to protect cultural heritage.

According to local media including the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 24th, unauthorized painting was carried out on an ancient rock-carved Buddha statue in Nanzhang County, Sichuan Province, China. The statues, discovered in 2021, were confirmed to be 1,400 years old, attracting significant academic interest.

Ancient rock-carved Buddha statue with a history of 1,400 years (left) and its appearance after being painted (right) [Photo by South China Morning Post]

In July, the Department of Archaeology and Museology at Sichuan University and local authorities released an investigation report on the statues, stating, "These statues appear to have been created between the late Northern Wei period (386?534) and the late Tang Dynasty." They added, "Rock-carved Buddhas from the late Northern Wei period are very rare, and these statues provide important academic evidence illuminating Buddhist cultural and artistic exchanges between Sichuan and the northern Central Plains," highlighting their high value.

However, on the 15th, the Nanzhang County Cultural Relics Protection Research Center announced, "Someone has unauthorizedly painted the statues," and declared that "public access is prohibited and an investigation for restoration has begun."

Investigations revealed that local resident Mr. Wang and his daughter Ms. Li asked a nearby village resident on the 13th to paint clothes on the rock-carved Buddha using acrylic paint. Mr. Wang stated in the investigation, "We worship the Buddha and asked for the painting as a gesture of gratitude for many good things that have happened."

An employee of the Bazhong City Cultural Heritage Bureau said, "At the time, temporary buildings and surveillance cameras were installed to protect the rock-carved Buddhas," adding, "We noticed the painting activity during the process but could not stop it because the statues are located deep in the mountains." When heritage bureau staff and public security officers arrived, the painting had already been completed.

Local public security officials stated, "The individuals who painted the statues are elderly people in their 70s and 80s, and since they claimed to have painted out of religious faith, it seems difficult to impose severe punishment."

A Nanzhang County official also said, "Local villagers believe that painting the statues is a good deed and a way to protect cultural relics, so strict punishment is challenging."

Professor Jin Dasu of Peking University’s Archaeology Department commented on the incident, saying, "Once such stone relics are damaged, it is difficult to restore them to their original state," and urged, "There is a need to strengthen education on cultural heritage protection to raise public awareness."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.