A 600 year old Buddha statue was discovered in a reservoir in Jiangxi province in Eastern China after the water level fell during repair work.

Local villagers first discovered the Buddha's head last month, when the water level fell more than 10 meters while working at the power plant, the official state news Agency Xinhua.

Head of Buddha set on a cliff and looking serenely on the water. It attracts many tourists as well as locals who see it as a favorable sign. Archaeologists claim that the statue can trace back to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). "A preliminary study of the statue suggests that it was created probably in the early Ming dynasty, maybe even earlier," said CNN in a telephone interview with Xu Changqing, Director of the research Institute of archaeology of Jiangxi province.

The statue is potentially only the tip of the untapped archaeological treasures. The Foundation of the temple - the hall was also found under water. Local records indicate that a tank was located on the ruins of the ancient city under the name of "Xiaoshi". Xu said that the submarine crew explores an ancient city and the statue, and is working on a conservation plan.

Many cultural relics were destroyed during the cultural revolution in the country in the 1960-ies, when people decided to get rid of all the old, feudal and superstitious. The statue was submerged in the reservoir in 1960. At that time, local authorities were not aware about the protection of heritage, said Xu.
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