Meet the man who spent 30 years voluntarily guarding the thousand-year-old Buddha statues in north China

Lu Qianfang, an ordinary peasant in north China’s Hebei Province, has been guarding the thousand-year-old temple and cliffside Buddha sculptures at the top of Mount. Yufeng in Taihang Mountains for 30 years.

To fulfill his task, Lu has to climb up the mountain with the help of a sickle and a pick because the track on Mount. Yufeng is not only rough but also overgrown with grass and trees. The path can be as narrow as 30 centimeters (11.8 inches). A three-meter altitude can take him one hour to climb.

The sculptures can be dated back to over 1000 years ago. The Buddha sculptures are one of the few existing ancient Buddha sites in the area. There are 82 Buddha statues lined up in 7 rows. In the middle is a 65-centimeter-tall sitting Buddha accompanied by two disciples on each side. Lu has been checking every sculpture and inscription to make sure they are in place for thirty years.

In order to take care of the historical relics, Lu would even live in a cave in summer. He would also host traveling monks from time to time in his cave.