In the past few days, high temperatures and drought have continued, and water levels in some reservoirs have dropped rapidly. Recently, a sitting Buddha that was originally hidden underwater in Heilongtan, Renshou County, Meishan City, Sichuan Province, became mostly exposed due

In the past few days, high temperatures and drought have continued, and water levels in some reservoirs have dropped rapidly. Recently, a sitting Buddha that was originally hidden underwater in Heilongtan, Renshou County, Meishan City, Sichuan Province, became mostly exposed due to the drop in water level.

"This big Buddha is from the Ming Dynasty, and there are many small Buddha statues around it, some of which are from the Tang Dynasty." A staff member of the Meishan City Cultural Relics Department said.

On August 26, 2022, the water level of the Heilongtan Reservoir in Renshou County dropped, and most of the Ming Dynasty Giant Buddha was dewed.

Because of the Heilongtan Reservoir, the giant Buddha statue and the surrounding grottoes were submerged under the blue waves. The Buddha's head has also been etched over the years and is covered with lush vegetation. In recent years, when the reservoir's water level drops, the Buddha's body has occasionally surfaced. In 2020, due to the drop in water levels, the Buddha's body was completely exposed. This year, as the water level dropped, most of the Buddha's body emerged from the water again, reappearing as before.

"Usually only the Buddha's head is on the water, but as time goes by, the head has been damaged. Except for the locals, many people don't know that this is the Buddha's body that was destroyed when the water level dropped. After the body was completely exposed, you can see It’s clearer.” A villager in Sixin Village said that in 2020, the Buddha was completely exposed. The water level has dropped this year, and most of the Buddha's body has been exposed. It is estimated that there is still one or two meters under the water.

Comparison between this year and 2020

Sixin Village, Heilongtan Town, Renshou County, is located in the upper reaches of the Heilongtan Reservoir, that is, between the two banks of the main canal from Meiqiaopu to Wuliqiao. According to relevant records, there are more than 30 cliff tombs of the Han Dynasty and caves of various sizes where ancient people lived on the cliff. There are stone beds and partition walls in the large cave, which can reach tens of square meters, and the smaller one can accommodate several people.

Why are there so many stone carvings in Heilongtan? A staff member of the Meishan City Cultural Relics Department said: Most of the ancient stone carvings were unearthed in traffic arteries. In the past, this was the main passage to Renshou from Chengdu, Yangliu and other places. The ancestors carved Buddha statues as they passed by. Pray for peace inside and outside.

As water levels drop due to high temperatures and drought, another ancient site is "revisited". The Sitting Buddha was registered more than ten years ago and is a municipal cultural protection unit.