Sixth century Chinese Buddhas go on show in Zurich
One of the world's largest Chinese Buddha art collections has opened at the Rietberg Museum in Zurich.
The exhibition, "The return of Buddha", shows some 30 sculptures dating back to the sixth century, from the Qinzhou region of East China.
The sculptures are part of a collection of 300 art pieces discovered in 1996 by construction workers in China. The works had been hidden and buried in a funeral parlour during the twelfth century and were discovered in the remains of a temple in the Qinzhou region.
"It is logical for this treasure to come to Zurich", Rietberg Museum Director Albert Lutz said, "because we already have the most important Chinese Buddha art collections in Europe."
The arrival of the Buddhas and exhibition marks the beginning of a year of festivities for the Rietberg Museum, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary.
The exhibition runs until April 1.
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