Stolen Buddha statue head arrives in Hebei museum

Staff unpacks the Buddha statue head in Hebei Museum, Shijiaguang, Hebei province, March 29, 2016. The head statue was brought back to the museum on Tuesday after it was stolen 20 years ago. [Photo/Xinhua]

The head statue of Buddha Shakyamuni, carved during Northern Qi Dynasty (550-577 AD), originally belonging to Youju Temple in Hebei province was stolen in 1996.

Abbot Hsing Yun, one of Taiwan's most influential monks, received the statue as a gift from his follower in 2014, which was later confirmed to be the lost statue from Youju Temple.