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Thread: Buddhist art (statues, sculptures, paintings, etc.)

  1. #1
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    Buddhist art (statues, sculptures, paintings, etc.)

    I almost posted this in our Longmen Grottoes thread, but it didn't quite fit there. Then I figured I'd launch a new thread on the topic here, just to see what comes of it.

    China's hidden Buddha emerges: Long-lost stone statue appears from a lake after water level lowers by 30 feet

    The ancient Buddha was carved on a cliff face and could date to China's Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
    Villagers of Nancheng County saw its head emerging from the surface of the water on Zuixian Lake
    The water level had been lowered by more than 30 meet due to a hydropower gate renovation project
    Archaeologists are carrying out an underwater detection project to find out more about the stone relic

    By Tracy You For Mailonline
    PUBLISHED: 12:02 EST, 11 January 2017 | UPDATED: 13:08 EST, 11 January 2017

    Chinese archaeologists are trying to solve the mystery of a long-lost Buddha statue which appeared from a lake after the water level lowered dramatically.

    The stone relic, found in Nancheng County in Fuzhou, could date as far as the 14th century, according to state media Xinhua News Agency.

    The holy figure was discovered at the end of last year when a few villagers saw its head emerging from the surface of the water in the lake in Fujian Province.


    Forgotten by time: A long-lost Buddha appeared from under a lake in south-east China after the water level lowered


    Incredible discovery: The stone relic could date as far as the 14th century and was carved on a cliff face


    Long-lost treasure: The Buddha was discovered when villages of Nancheng County saw its head emerging from the water

    The water level of Zuixian Lake, also known as Hongmen reservoir, was lowered by more than 30 feet due to a project to renovate a hydropower gate.

    The dramatic change in the water level has led the mysterious Buddha statue, which was carved on a cliff face, to appear. The statue seems to depict the image of the Gautama Buddha.

    In addition to the statue, villagers also found an imperial decree carved into the stone, Xinhua reported.

    After the local made the discovery, archaeologists have arrived at the Nancheng County to start an underwater detection project.

    Xu Changqing, head of the provincial research institute of archaeology, believed that the statue had been carved during China's Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).


    The Buddha was found in the Zuixian Lake, also known as Hongmen reservoir, in Nancheng County in Fuzhou


    Mysterious figure: The change in the water level led the mysterious Buddha statue, carved on a cliff face, to appear


    Ancient relics: In addition to the statue, villagers also found an imperial decree carved into the cliff face in Zuixian Lake

    Archaeologists also found rectangular holes carved on the cliff. They believed that the holes could provided proof that a temple had existed in the area.

    The Hongmen Reservoir contains 1.2 billion cubic meters of water and has more than 1,000 islands.

    According to Nancheng County's governmental website, it was located on the site of an ancient town known as Xiaoshi.

    When the reservoir was built in 1958, 63 towns and villages, including Xiaoshi were completely submerged to create the lake.

    Dating back to 202 BC, Xiaoshi occupied a strategic location between Fujian and Jiangxi, two provinces in south-east China, and was an important trading town.

    The town had held the governmental seat of Nancheng County for nearly 500 years.

    The underwater detection project in Hongmen Reservoir is expected to last until January 15.

    HOW ANOTHER RESERVOIR CREATED CHINA'S ATLANTIS
    Incredible detail underwater at China's Atlantis in Qiandao Lake

    Duration Time 1:08

    The mysterious Buddha statue is not the only relic which has been discovered under a reservoir in China.

    The most famous finding yet is the Lion City, a town which hid under the surface of Qiandao Lake, in eastern China's Zhejiang Province, for more than 50 years.

    A maze of white temples, memorial arches, paved roads, and houses... hidden 130 feet underwater: this is China's real-life Atlantis.

    Lion City, tucked in a lake between the Five Lion Mountain, was once the centre of politics and economics in Chun'an County.

    But in 1959, the Chinese government decided a new hydroelectric power station, named Xinanjiang, was required. So authorities flooded the Lion City, and the nearby He City, in order to build a man-made lake.

    Erecting a dam, the historical metropolis was slowly filled with water until it was completely submerged by the turquoise-blue mass now referred to as Qiandao Lake.

    Depending on where on the lake bottom it is, the city is between 85 and 131 feet underwater.

    And it lay forgotten for 53 years.

    There's an embedded video on China's Atlantis too.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  2. #2
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    ttt 4 2021

    Cool story. That 'owner' begets good karma.

    Homeland Security Investigations recovers one-of-a-kind Buddhist statue in Phoenix

    Homeland Security Investigations recovers ancient artifact in Phoenix (Source: Homeland Security Investigations)
    By KOLD News 13 Staff | January 6, 2021 at 11:02 AM MST - Updated January 6 at 11:02 AM
    TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) recovered a 9th century Buddhist statue as a result of an investigation that began in October 2019.

    The artifact was determined to have been purchased abroad and shipped into the U.S. illegally approximately half century ago. HSI special agents were able to locate the Buddhist statue after receiving information that the ancient statue was located at a private residence in the Phoenix, Arizona metro area. Based on that information, HSI contacted the current owner who had already expressed concerned over possessing the statue which she had inherited from family. According to the owner, she believed the original purchase took place over 50 years ago in the Middle East while she and her family lived abroad. After learning of the statue’s origins, the private collector voluntarily agreed to surrender the property to HSI so that it could be repatriated to India.

    “Returning stolen cultural artifacts is a great example of the tireless work HSI does to combat those who seek to profit by plundering history,” said Scott Brown, special agent in charge for the HSI Phoenix Office. “I commend the special agents of HSI for their work on this case. I also want to recognize the private citizens and businesses who proactively cooperated with our investigations, doing their part to contact the authorities to ensure that these historic artifacts are returned to their rightful owners.”

    In September 2020, HSI special agents contacted a Northern Arizona University Professor of Art History & Asian Studies to assist with the proper identification of the Buddhist statue. The professor, an archeologist specializing in Asian art, was able to verify that the Buddhist statue, which weighs over 500 pounds and is 3 feet tall, was in fact the popular Mahayana Buddhist goddess Cundā that dates back to the 9th century and is considered a priceless piece of cultural property.

    On Jan. 4, the Mahayana Buddhist goddess Cundā statue was seized by HSI for being imported into the United States contrary to law pursuant to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Convention of 1970 and the Cultural Property Implementation Act (CPAI) – 19 USC 2604-2606.

    Immediately following the seizure, the Mahayana Buddhist goddess Cundā statue was carefully prepared for transport to be housed in a specialized gallery pending its repatriation to India in the near future.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  3. #3
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    Bangkok Buddha

    This looks magnificent
    June 21, 2021
    4:11 AM PDT
    Last Updated 3 days ago
    Asia Pacific
    Thai temple says construction of giant Buddha statue visible across Bangkok nearly complete

    Reuters

    2 minute read



    The giant Buddha statue of Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen temple is seen in Bangkok, Thailand, June 10, 2021. Picture taken June 10, 2021 with a drone. REUTERS/Jorge Silva


    BANGKOK, June 21 (Reuters) - A Thai temple building a 69-metre-tall (230 ft) Buddha statue that will be visible across Bangkok said construction was nearly complete but its opening may be pushed back to 2022 due to delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

    The Royal Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen temple on the outskirts of Bangkok dates back to 1610 and is located on a island created by canals flowing from the Chao Phraya river.

    Work on the statue, which is as tall as a 20-storey building, started in 2017 and should be completed this year, but due to the coronavirus pandemic the official opening may be pushed back to 2022, said temple spokesman Pisan Sangkapinij.

    The Phra Buddha Dhammakāya Thepmongkhon statue, made of copper and painted gold, sits in a seated lotus posture.

    Parts were produced in China before being shipped to Thailand to be assembled.

    It should be visible from all parts of the raised train line that spans the capital Bangkok, said Pisan.

    Using $16 million worth of donations, the temple decided to build the statue to honour Buddhism and also as a tribute to former abbot Luang Pu Sodh Candasaro who helped develop the temple as a renowned centre for meditation, he said.

    The statue has drawn double the number of visitors to the temple than usual, he said, and the temple was expecting more once Thailand's borders, closed due to the pandemic, are reopened to tourists.

    The tallest Buddha statue in Thailand is the Phra Buddha Maha Nawamin statue in Ang Thong province that is 92 metres high.

    Reporting by Jiraporn Kuhakan in Bangkok Writing by Ed Davies Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

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