Thousands of Buddha Statues Found in N. China

Xinhua, March 9, 2012 

Archaeologists in Hebei Province have excavated more than 2,000 ancient Buddha statues. 

The 2,895 Buddha statues and fragments dating back to the Eastern Wei and Northern Qi period (534-577) were found in the historic site of Yecheng, Linzhang County. The statues are made of white marble and blue stone and some are painted or gilded, according to archeologists from the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Hebei Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage. 

Zhang Wenrui, who is an official with the Hebei Provincial Bureau of Cultural Heritage, said the sizes of the statues range from 20 centimeters long to the size of an actual person, and the archaeologists are repairing the statues for protection and research.