First Phase Facelift on Leshan Buddha Completed

The first phase of maintaining project of Leshan Buddha status finished

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The Leshan Giant Buddha in southwest China's Sichuan Province has gone through the first phase facelift and will open to visitors on May 1.

To date, the dirty face of the Buddha statue has taken on a clean look. The scaffolds in front of the Buddha statue have been dismantled, said Zeng Zhiliang, chief engineer of the project.

A 150-square-meter platform was built at the foot of the Buddha to ensure visitors to have a clear view of it.

An ancient bell hung in the Fuyu Pavilion, which lies left to the Buddha statue, will be stricken Saturday, marking the end of the first phase renovation.


The first phase of maintaining project of Leshan Buddha statue finished

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The first phase lasted for a month at a cost of 250 million yuan. The second phase will begin at the end of the year. It will concentrate on anti-efflorescence, drainage systems and protection facilities against wind and water.

The 1,280-year-old Buddha was built in AD 713 and was completed in 803, during the prosperous period of the Tang Dynasty in Chinese history. It was rated as a world heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1996.