Mysteries of the mummified Buddha Zhanggong

Details of the Buddha. Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn

Incantation and belongings signify Buddha's origin

The seated Buddha wears two sets of clothes. A grey lining could be seen from the wide collar, and on top of it is delicately carved Buddhist garb.

Auspicious clouds and curving lines are knitted on the clothes and on the wide collar there are pictures of flowers. Carved dragons decorated the right sleeves and around the stomach.

"The ornamentations on the clothes show that the statue was renovated during the Ming Dynasty, which corresponds with local records of that time," said Chen Qizhong, curator of the Museum in Datian, Fujian province.

Patterns on the clothes are auspicious, and "dragons embody longevity and irresistible power," said Bruijn, adding that the words and adornment also reveal a lot of information.