Evidence indicating that the stolen Yangchun statue and the 1,000-year-old Buddha statue are one and the same has also been presented by the Fujian Administration of Cultural Heritage. (Photo : REUTERS)
According to China.org, an ancient Buddhist statue, whose head was stolen 14 years ago, would be finally reunited with its missing piece later this month. It would be moved by the end of May to Kaohsiung City in Taiwan where it would be then assembled.
The 80-kilogram sculpture, which is made solely of white marble and stands at 1.59 meters, dates back to the North Qi of South and North Dynasties.
It originally was showcased in Youju Temple in Lingshou County, Hebei where its head was eventually stolen in 1996. The rest of the sculpture was then shipped to the Hebei Provincial Museum in the hopes of keeping it safe.
A private collector presented the head of this Buddhist relic last year to Master Hsing Yun, the founding abbot of a Fo Guang Shan Temple. Having discovered its history, the abbot voluntarily surrendered the head to the State Administration of Cultural Heritage with the aim of reuniting it with its headless body.
With the permission of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, the sculpture would first be exhibited in Kaohsiung City. The three-month showcase, dubbed as the Buddhist Cultural Relic Exhibition, is sponsored by the local government and the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Hall.
Upon arrival at the Hebei Provincial Museum, the Buddhist statue would undergo several major repairs before it is put on display together with 77 other national ancient artifacts in 2016, as stated by Luo Xiangjun, director of the museum.
