[Photo provided to China Daily]

Zheng says the remaining statues and broken pieces were placed in some order when found in the cellar, and it suggests that there could have been a burial ceremony. He says it was a way for Buddhists at the time to achieve relief after something disastrous.

"The sculptures were seen as incarnations of the Buddha. People believed after being damaged, the surviving parts of statues were still endowed with sacred powers, like the Buddha's relics.

"With great devotion, people collected and buried them, hoping that they would be well preserved underground."

Also, people believed the smashed pieces would someday be reunited with the missing parts and reassembled, implying the arrival of a new age, he says.

If you go

9:30 am-5:30 pm, closed Monday, through Sept 20. CAFA art museum, 8 Huajiadi South Street, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-6477-1575.