The failed restoration of the historic Buddha statue of the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) in southwest China provoked a storm of protests after pictures of "cartoon" paintings appeared.
The work in Anyou Town, Sichuan Province, was already carried out in 1995, but the authorities did not provide any explanation after the pictures appeared on Chinese social media, and the restoration appears to have been carried out by unqualified amateur restorers, prompting comparisons with other failed restoration jobs.
The restoration work was carried out by hobbyist Xu Xin, an archaeologist who spent the past four years in Dunhuang Caves in Gansu Province, one of the country's most famous Buddhist sites.
Shaw's publications drew furious criticism on the Internet and were immediately sent more than 15,000 times, with many commentators condemning the restoration work and demanding an explanation from the local government. An art and archaeologist wrote on his Facebook page: "Hundreds of years later When our future generations see it, they will mistakenly believe that this is the best of our civilization. "
According to China's Criminal Law and the Law on the Protection of Cultural Relics, anyone who harms cultural relics faces a penalty ranging from a fine of 5,000 yuan (US $ 730) to 10 years in prison.