By Tracy You For Mailonline
Published: 13:28 BST, 1 April 2019 | Updated: 13:36 BST, 1 April 2019
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China's gigantic 71-metre-tall (233-foot-tall) Leshan Buddha re-opened to the public today after experts carried out emergency restoration on the ancient holy statue.
The famous Leshan Buddha is the largest stone Buddha in the world, according to UNESCO.
Emergency and preliminary conservation was given to the chest, abdomen and face of the 1,300-year-old gigantic figure, which was hand-carved out of a mountain face from the eighth century in south-western China's Sichuan Province.
Meet the Leshan Buddha: The 71-metre-tall (233-foot-tall) statue in China's Sichuan Province has re-opened to tourists after undergoing six months of emergency restoration on its face and chest. The picture of the Buddha was taken on March 25
Workers cleaned the Leshan Buddha's face and repaired the cracks on its chest and abdomen. The repair project started in October last year and the Buddha was covered up in scaffolding. The picture of the Buddha was taken on March 19
The repair project started in October last year and the Buddha was covered up in scaffolding. The scaffolding was removed in late March after experts mended the cracks and tears on the statue.
Tourists are once again able to climb the 250 steps leading to the top of the Buddha's head - also carved out of the mountain - and see the entirety of towering sitting Buddha from the Min River by the mountain.
A live-streaming video on People's Daily's social media site shows throngs of excited tourists flocking to see the Buddha today.
Construction of the Buddha began in 713 AD during the Tang Dynasty
