Chinese villagers paint 1,400-year-old Buddha statues to thank gods, damaging artifacts

The statues were discovered in 2021 and hadn't been registered in the heritage protection list. A local official said the villagers “could hardly be punished but only educated.”
A set of 1,400-year-old Buddha statues in China were damaged by villagers who painted them with bright colors to “redeem a wish to the god,” officials said.
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