Photos show grottoes in a temple listed as a cultural relic in Yunnan Province are badly damaged. (Photo from Weibo)
(ECNS) -- Authorities in Anning City, Southwest China's Yunnan Province, pledged to investigate reported damage to grottoes in a temple listed as a cultural relic after photos were posted on social media.
A netizen shared pictures on his Twitter-like Weibo account, saying that the grottoes were badly damaged in Fahua Temple, known for sculptures of Buddha in various styles.
Some of the sculptures' heads were smashed into pieces or painted with horrific images. Cliff inscriptions with remarkable Chinese calligraphy were also marred by graffiti. Unruly tourists also scribbled message on a stone sculpture of a reclining Buddha, the only one in the province's capital of Kunming.
The culture, sports and tourism bureau in Anning City, a region under the administration of Kunming, said it will publish results of the investigation as soon as possible.
