China restores 800-year-old Buddhist statue

Chinese experts have completed restoration of a famous 800-year-old Buddha statue after seven years of work.

According to local media reports, the "Qianshou Guanyin", a statue with 1,000 hands, is located in n Dazu County of the southwestern Chongqing Municipality. The restoration program began in 2008 and cost about 60 million yuan ($9.8 million).

Workers restored 830 hands and 227 instruments, using one million gold foils, consolidating the dated pieces of the statue and thoroughly cleaning it. It said to be the largest restoration project on the statue,which has undergone repairs at least four times in history.

The statue, 7.7 metres high and 12.5 metres wide, was carved during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127 to 1279).