It is a mystery yet unsolved and we fear it might remain so forever. 15 years have passed since the carved Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan was blown up.
The edifice in the country was the world’s largest standing Buddha before it was destroyed.
But somewhere on the Baxianshan Mountain in Pingshan County, located in the southwest China’s Sichuan province is the current world’s largest masterpiece of a carved Buddha which archaeologists say is 400 years old. The Buddha measures 32 meters in height. It is currently the largest standing Buddha in the world.
The height measures up to a 10-storey building.
Archaeologists believe the standing Buddha was carved during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). If this is right, then the piece should be about 400 years old, they said.
Sadly, there is no known record of who sculptor was and why the carving was made. It is still a mystery waiting to be solved. The “Encyclopedia of China” listed this Buddha among the ten biggest Buddhas in the world. The carving has an invaluable artistic, cultural and research value. Yet, the book had nothing to include about it’s origin.
The government of China has teamed up with other historic preservation societies looking for answers.