The world's biggest and heaviest jade Bamiyan Buddha Statue stands at the entrance of the 28th Session of the World Heritage Committee, now being held in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province.

The original Bamiyan Buddha was carved into the cliff of the Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan, between the third and fifth centuries AD. More than 1,500 years old, the towering 55-meter Buddha was the tallest in the world and its historic and cultural value was immeasurable. In all those years, it had been seriously damaged three times, but the fatal blow fell on March 8, 2001, when the fundamentalist Taliban leadership of Afghanistan had the statue blown up.

The act shocked the world. China Idall Group, based on its motto of 'filling the world with love,' decided immediately to make an imposing jade replica of the great Buddha. The search was on, and it eventually found the huge stone in Myanmar.

China Idall sought expert opinion on the original statue, and when sufficient information had been accumulated the nationally recognized craftsmen the company hired began their task. Working in turns, it took them 16 months to finish the statue, the world's first duplicate of the Bamiyan Buddha.

Nearly two years ago, in August 2002, China Idall announced its wish to recreate and donate a Jade Bamiyan Buddha Statue to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). That wish has finally come true.

After the exhibition at the Suzhou heritage committee session, the jade Buddha will be transported to the headquarters of UNESCO for a formal handover and future display.

The China Idall Group is a high-tech company dedicated to electronics, logistics, culture and media and investment management. Most of its products, mainly DVD players, are exported to Europe.

2004/06/29
Source: China.org.cn