Leshan - The disappearance of a kitsch replica

The first chapter within Part 2 of The Giant Buddhas produced in 2005.
Fascinated by the legend of the "sleeping Buddha", a French archaeologist begins to excavate even as he decries the plundering of Afghanistan's history. "Squeezed dry like a lemon", he says of the country.
Each year, thousands of Chinese tourists visit the seated Buddha in Leshan which, at 71 meters, is the largest Buddha statue in the world. And in mysterious looking poses, they all have their photograph taken in front of the 14-meter long giant head. The photos should give the impression that the subjects are touching the 7-meter long ear, or the 5-meter long nose or the one-meter high forehead. Rumour has it that this brings luck and a long life.
The commercially operated «Oriental Buddha Kingdom Park», with over three-thousand Buddha replicas -- a sort of Disneyland for Buddhism --, is very near the Leshan Buddha. Immediately after the destruction of the Buddhas in Afghanistan, the park owner had the idea of reconstructing the giant Bamiyan Buddha. In autumn 2001, three-hundred stonecutters under the directions of the «Sichuan Art Academy», began with the construction of the Bamiyan replica. Archaeological details or authenticity had little meaning for the stonemasons. As the original Bamiyan Buddha had lost its wooden and metal face hundreds of years ago, the Chinese stonemasons decked out «their» Buddha with a fantasy face.
«Our Bamiyan Buddha looks down on a beautiful landscape. I'm sure he's happier here than in the desert in Afghanistan.»
Liang Enming, Oriental Buddha Park Chairman
As cameraman Peter Indergand and director Christian Frei wanted to visit and film Leshan's Bamiyan Buddha in October 2003, the figure was nowhere to be seen. And, in questioning the park-keepers, they received very odd and evasive answers. This Buddha is being repaired and is not on view... it's no longer here... closed... Finished... it's in Afghanistan and not here in China... the Buddha is undergoing a facelift and is temporarily closed to viewing... there was never anything like that here.
Why all this secrecy? Why may nobody see this Buddha again? Finally, the abbot of a Buddhist monastery put the filmmakers on the right track.
This is a film documentary by Christian Frei also available on DVD.