Daily Times

Buddhists in China claim that revered statues continue to mysteriously disappear.

Authorities in the central province of Henan ordered the demolition of 500 outdoor statues of Arhat, a holy figure in Buddhism.

In some cases, local Communist authorities removed statues of Buddhist saints without explanation. In June 2019, the Chinese Bureau of Ethnic and Religious Affairs ordered the demolition of more than 90 statues and some temples that had more than 70 rooms, claiming they were illegal structures

In order to preserve some of the structures and protect them from being destroyed by the authorities, locals have reportedly resorted to covering them and keeping them out of sight.

Interestingly, Buddhist sculptures reveals an intriguing contradiction between the agency of the sculptures and the agency of devotees. On the one hand, Buddhist clergy and devotees acted upon the sculptures, empowering and investing them with a spiritual presence through the performance of elaborate, eye-opening ceremonies. On the other hand, Chinese miracle tales omitted references to consecration ceremonies but frequently described Buddhist sculptures as animate bodies—statues that moved at will, emitted light, and even spoke.

China’s Communist Party has increased its pressure on various religious groups existing in the country. The Uyghurs, the indigenous, ethnic Turkic-speaking Muslim population of Xinjiang Province, have been forced into concentration camps in recent years.  Activists and human rights groups have accused China of trying to erase Uyghur language, culture and religion, forcing them to give up Muslim traditions and beliefs.