Recently, ancient Buddha statues exposed in reservoirs in Henan, Sichuan, and Chongqing have drawn social attention this summer. These statues were submerged during the construction of reservoirs after the establishment of the Communist regime, some of which are newly discovered, and some had partially surfaced several years ago but are now fully visible. Experts point out that the submerging of Buddha statues is, in itself, the Communist Party’s version of a “Cultural Revolution,” highlighting the different attitudes of the Communist Party and normal countries towards rescuing cultural relics.
According to a report by Chinese state-run CCTV on July 7th, a group of Song dynasty cliff carvings exposed due to a drop in water level were first discovered on the cliffs by the Yutan Reservoir in Dazu District, Chongqing. These cliff carvings, measuring 3 meters in height and 6 meters in width, consist of 6 niches and a total of 27 statues from left to right. Niches 2 to 4 are particularly prominent and well-preserved.
Deng Qibing, curator at the Dazu Rock Carvings Research Institute, stated that since the beginning of this spring, Dazu District has experienced less rainfall, leading to a continuous decrease in water level at the Yutan Reservoir, revealing the carvings.
Back in June this year, over twenty carved Buddha statues at the Shufang Dam Reservoir in Anyue, Sichuan, were entirely exposed due to a decrease in water level.
Publicized by Anyue officials in 2020, the Shufang Dam Reservoir was built in the 1970s with a drainage area of approximately 130 square kilometers. Following the reservoir’s completion, the historic Shengdeng Temple was submerged, and thousands of Buddha statues were submerged, with the Luohan Temple and the Foji Temple partially submerged. During the dry season, some Buddha statues surface, while others remain permanently underwater.
Local resident Deng Yongfu, 76, mentioned that the cliff carvings at the Foji Temple are almost exposed every year, with Buddha heads visible, along with over ten years when the lower-lying stone lions were completely exposed for two to three months each year; three years since 2020 saw full exposure.
By the end of May, due to the water level drop at the Duo Feng Reservoir in Qixian County, Henan Province, the Qianzui Grottoes were revealed, surrounded by finely detailed Buddha statues that appear vivid and lifelike, with deeper water inside the cave.
According to Qixian County officials, the Qianzui Grottoes were carved during the Eastern Wei dynasty, concealed on the remote cliffs for centuries and submerged in the mid-20th century due to the construction of the Duo Feng Reservoir.
Staff at the Qixian Cultural Heritage and Tourism Administration mentioned that the grottoes were discovered several years ago but are typically submerged, only being exposed when the reservoir’s water level drops. As the Buddha statues in the caves are submerged year-round, they have been corroded, with many statues’ heads and hands missing.
Renowned hydraulic engineering expert Wang Weiluo, residing in Germany, told Dajiyuan that submerging cultural relics in reservoirs is a common practice in China. The Communist Party does not consider submerging Buddha statues as a loss.
“In the past, after the dam was built, everything was flooded by closing the gates when the reservoir’s water rose, including cultural relics. The exact number of submerged cultural relics has not been tallied. For instance, when the Xin’anjiang Reservoir was constructed, it flooded the entire county town, including many ancient buildings now underwater.”
Weiluo stated that the current Communist approach is more severe, as before the reservoir dam is completed, all buildings are demolished with explosives, and then the reservoir is filled to prevent water quality changes. Hence, it is challenging to find intact Buddha statues or groups of statues in newly constructed reservoirs.
The Communist Party’s approach to rescuing cultural relics prior to reservoir construction differs from that of normal countries. Weiluo cited the Three Gorges Project that submerged numerous relics.
“When the Three Gorges Project was underway, there was a period of time dedicated to rescuing relics. There were too many relics there, the rescue period was extended, but the Communist Party lacked patience and most relics went unexplored and were submerged underwater.”
Comparing with the construction of the Aswan Dam in Egypt, Weiluo mentioned that when the Abu Simbel Temple was to be submerged, Egypt claimed a lack of funds for rescue efforts, prompting international organizations and developed countries to fund and complete the rescue mission mainly by a German company.
Chinese issues expert Wang He, focusing on traditional culture, told Dajiyuan that the Communist Party built numerous reservoirs during the Mao Zedong era, submerging many religious sites. The exact number is challenging to quantify. These water conservancy projects have not been very effective and have had many negative impacts, causing some historical sites to be “erased.”
“It is only when the news mentions water receding or decreasing in certain areas, revealing sculptures or famous scenic spots, that we realize how brilliant ancient Chinese culture was.”
He believes that the Communist Party has, in essence, conducted a Cultural Revolution in a different way, isolating historical and cultural sites from the Chinese people through reservoir construction. This is a tremendous devastation to the inheritance of national culture.
The “Cultural Revolution” occurred in mainland China between May 16, 1966, and October 6, 1976. During this period, numerous temples, Buddha statues, and artifacts were destroyed. The Cultural Revolution is considered a concentrated political movement by the Communist Party to destroy traditional Chinese culture.