World's largest Buddha statue in China to undergo 'physical examination'

The world's largest Buddha statue in China's southwestern Sichuan Province will undergo a four-month "physical examination" as part of research for its repair plan.

The statue, at 71 metres high, sits outside the city of Leshan. It has cracks and damage on its chest and abdomen, according to the management committee of the Leishan Buddha scenic area.

During the examination, which will start on October 8, the main body of the Buddha statue will be partially or completely covered, state-run Xinhua news agency reported Monday.

The examination will be overseen by dozens of cultural relic experts, involving the use of cutting-edge technology such as 3D laser scanning, infrared thermal imaging and a drone aerial survey.

The statue, carved into a cliff in Leshan Mountain and overlooking three converging rivers, was built over a 90-year period starting the year 713, during the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)-listed world cultural heritage statue has undergone several repairs and checks.

In 2001, a project was conducted to clean the body, cement rock structure, and mend cracks and install drainage pipes, at a spending of 250 million yuan (about USD 36.87 million).

In 2007, the statue received another facelift to repair damage caused by weathering and acid rain.