WORLD'S LARGEST BUDDHA STATUE ENDANGERED BY FLOOD IN CHINA

The toes of the Leshan giant Buddha-an important Buddhist pilgrimage destination in Leshan, China was dampened by rising waters in a flood that has ravaged the region in recent days. The 1,300 year old Buddha statue declared by UNESCO as world heritage site is facing this for the first since 1949. It is far the tallest surviving pre-modern statue, measuring 233 ft high. The site has been closed to tourists in an effort to protect it while the police and staff are endlessly surrounding the statue with sandbags to save its toes.