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Reuters
A giant Buddha statue in China has its toes steamed by floodwaters for the first time since the 1940s.
The 71 m high statue, a UNESCO heritage site, was carved from a rock face near Chengdu in Sichuan province around the eighth century AD.
It is normally high above the waterline, but the area has been hit by the worst flooding in 70 years.
More than 100,000 people had to be relocated to safety.
The statue is a very popular attraction and is often included in cruises along the nearby Yangtze River and Three Gorges.
State media said 180 tourists were rescued from the site when waters rose.
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The statue usually sits high above the waterline, as seen here in February
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Tourists and pilgrims come with the boat to burn sacrifices at the feet of the Buddha
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The last time the toes – each larger than one person – got wet was in 1949
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But last week, waters reached the base of the statue and remained steadily rising
According to the Xinhua news agency, a traditional local proverb holds that if the Buddha’s feet get wet, Chengdu – which has a population of 16 million people – will also be flooded.
Sichuan province has activated its highest emergency response after weeks of heavy rain causing record high water levels, with no sign that it will end soon.
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Rescuers have been dispatched to help people evacuate from dangerous areas
Flood alarms are in place for provinces around the Yangtze, Yellow, Hai, Songhua and Liao rivers, with warnings of possible landslides.
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Chongqing has been battling several waves of floods this summer
The statue, just outside Chengdu, is a very popular attraction and is often included in cruises along the nearby Yangtze.
Officials have warned that enormous volumes of water are building up behind the Three Gorges dam – a massive hydroelectric project on the Yangtze.
The Ministry of Water Resources has warned that this could lead to severe flooding, including the large city of Chongqing
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