600 year-old Buddha statue emerges from lake

Archeologists believe that an ancient Buddha statue discovered by villagers in China’s Jiangxi Province is about 600 years old, dating back to the Ming Dynasty, state news agency Xinhua reported last week. The top of the statue was spotted last month when villagers noticed a Buddha’s head sticking out of the Hongmen Reservoir. According to Xinhua, water levels in the reservoir had fallen due to a recent construction project, revealing a sculpture. After an underwater expedition, researchers confirmed that the statue was about 12 feet long and carved into the cliffside. They also found the base of a hall beneath the statue and a 30-character inscription, which archeologists believe indicate that a temple had previously been there.