Ancient Buddha statues found in China

Over 1,000 ancient Buddha statues have been found in China, a cultural relics protection department official said Friday.

According to archaeologists, the Buddha statues were found in three stone caves in a cliff in Yangqu County in Shanxi province and could date back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Xinhua reported.

The stone statues carved into the cave walls are 12 to 25 cm long, a cultural heritage tourism bureau official said.

A stone Buddha statue belonging to the Ming Dynasty is a rarity since the art of making such statues reached its peak during the period from the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-589) to the Tang Dynasty (618-907).