A previously submerged Buddha statue in China thought to date as far back as the 14th century has resurfaced for the first time in decades, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.
The 12.5-foot-tall statue is carved into a cliff at a reservoir in China's Jiangxi Province.
Recent renovation work on a hydropower gate has caused the water level to drop by more than 30 feet, exposing the Buddha statue's head for the first time in nearly 60 years. Archaeologists told Xinhua that the statue, which has already begun attracting locals and tourists since it was first uncovered last month, could potentially be 600 years old.
"A preliminary study of the statue suggests it was probably built during early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), maybe even earlier as the Yuan Dynasty," Xu Changqing, director of the Research Institute of Archaeology of Jiangxi Province, told CNN in a phone interview.
County records show the Hongmen reservoir is located on the ruins of the ancient Xiaoshi Township.
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In addition to the Buddha, officials have discovered the base of a temple hall beneath the reservoir's surface. A team of archaeologists is currently looking into the new attraction and working on a plan to preserve it.
According to one Nancheng County official, the Buddha statue won't be exposed for long.
"The water levels of the reservoir will rise when the spring flood arrives around March, and the head of the Buddha statue will be submerged again," Nanchang water authority official Shan Keke told Xinhua.
If Keke's right, visitors will want to hurry to catch a glimpse of the ancient Buddha in person.
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