Headless religious statue uncovered in residential complex in Chongqing

For years, residents in an old neighborhood of Chongqing, southwest China, have walked past two apartment buildings built onto a steep slope, oblivious to what lay beneath: a giant religious sculpture carved into the rock face.

The imposing statue — about 30-feet tall and with its head missing — was hidden by a thick layer of foilage, and only uncovered during recent renovations to the residential complex, according to the local Nan’an district government.

Since the accidental discovery, photos of the mysterious headless sculpture have gone viral on Chinese social media, where many have referred to it as “the Buddha,” drawing headlines and sparking immediate interest in its history and origins.

Now only partially covered in moss, the statue is depicted seated with its forearms resting on its lap and its hands holding what appears to be a round stone. The folds and some details of the figure’s clothes are also visible.

The statue is believed to have been built during China’s Republican era (1912-1949), according to a national survey of cultural relics. While that study was conducted just over a decade ago, the sculpture had been neglected and appears to have been completely forgotten until recently.

However, experts invited by the district’s cultural relics management office to study the statue said it was not of Buddhist origin and is likely related to a folk religion.

Chongqing has undergone rapid urban expansion over the past few decades. Credit: LIU JIN/AFP/AFP via Getty Images

That the statue could be so quickly hidden is perhaps, a reflection of the rapid urban expansion that has unfolded in Chongqing. In recent decades, countess structures have been built to accommodate a bustling population of over 30 million people, sometimes at the expense of historical and cultural relics. Because of the city’s mountainous terrain, many homes are built on hillsides.