Research into statue goes below the surface
Print Edition
ARCHEOLOGISTS are going underwater after villagers in east China’s Jiangxi Province saw the head of a Buddha statue emerging from below the surface of a local reservoir.
The head was spotted at Hongmen Reservoir in Fuzhou’s Nancheng County at the end of last year after a hydropower renovation project lowered water levels in the reservoir by more than 10 meters.
Judging by the design of the head, the statue was carved during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), said Xu Changqing, head of Jiangxi’s archeology research institute.
He said researchers had also found rectangular holes carved on a cliff, obvious marks of architecture, which meant a temple could have existed there.
Sonar equipment and other devices will be used to get basic data and underwater images for further research.
Hongmen Reservoir, also known as Zuixian Lake, was built in 1958 and spans the counties of Nancheng and Lichuan.
According to county records, the reservoir is located on the ruins of the ancient Xiaoshi Township, an important hub for water transport between the provinces of Jiangxi and Fujian and also a trade center.
The underwater project, led by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, begins tomorrow and is due to end on Sunday.
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