Claim: Video allegedly shows how the Leshan Giant Buddha in China is maintained and cleaned.
Conclusion: The claim is false. The video is generated using AI and does not depict any real maintenance of the Leshan Giant Buddha, a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage site in China. Officials have debunked this video and the actual maintenance involves surface repairs and removing vegetation, among other methods.
Rating: False 
Several social media users have shared a video and claimed that it shows a routine cleaning or maintenance of the Leshan Giant Buddha, a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage site in China. Verified X user ‘kenw_2’ shared such a post with the caption : “So this is how the Leshan Giant Buddha is maintained. Amitabha Buddha.” Attached to the post are two videos that depict workers using long sticks to clean the statue’s ear and nostril, extracting debris and leaves, with birds flying out of the ear cavity.
The post gained more than 3.8 million views and can be seen below –
原来乐山大佛的保养是这样的，阿弥陀佛🙏 https://t.co/RgS6xBEu9b
— Ken W (@kenw_2) October 4, 2026
Others users have shared similar claims that can be seen here
FACT CHECK
DigitEYE India decided to investigate this claim and found it to be false. The video was created using AI and does not show the real maintenance work at the Leshan Giant Buddha, a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage site in China. Authorities have confirmed that the footage is fabricated, while documented maintenance work at the site focuses on activities such as repairing surface damage, removing vegetation and cleaning microorganisms.
Details:
We first conducted reverse image searches using several keyframes from the video to trace its origin. However, we were unable to find any credible source or official outlet that had published or shared this video. We then downloaded the videos and analyzed them using Hive Moderation’s AI detection tool. The analysis indicated that certain sections of the videos had an AI-generated probability of over 60%.
The person who made the claim also admitted in a follow up post that the video they shared was generated using AI. The post notes that the “ above is an AI video, for entertainment purposes only, Amitabha. Official maintenance is coming soon.”
免骂声明：上面是AI视频，仅供娱乐，阿弥陀佛🙏
正式的官方维护即将到来。 https://t.co/JfQILuQ3cU
— Ken W (@kenw_2) October 4, 2026
Following this, we conducted a web search with the phrase “Leshan Giant Buddha in China viral video” to get more information. A report published by Red Star News on October 4, 2026, and translated into English, stated that a viral video purportedly showing workers cleaning the ears and nostrils of the Leshan Giant Buddha was false information generated by AI. According to the Leshan Giant Buddha Cultural Relics Protection (Scenic Area) Management Committee, the video did not depict a real scene at the site, with Chen Rui, deputy director of its Digital Information Center, confirming that it was AI-generated.
The above report also notes that the management “will soon launch a protection and restoration survey and design project for the main head of the Leshan Giant Buddha.” They stressed on how the relic “cannot be allowed to be manipulated by AI for the purpose of gaining clicks.”
Another report published by IT Home (translated into English) also reported that the Leshan Giant Buddha Cultural Relics Protection (Scenic Area) Management Committee confirmed that the video was “false, generated by AI,” and did not show a real scene at the site. It also quotes Chen Rui, deputy director of the committee’s Digital Information Center, who stated that “there is no debris inside the Buddha’s ears and nose that needs cleaning” and that “there are currently no monkeys” in the Lingyun Mountain area where the Buddha is located. View a section from the report below –
In terms of how the Leshan Giant Buddha statue is really cleaned, the above report states that five maintenance operations had been carried out in 2026, with the latest taking place from September 20 to 25 and focusing on “repairing micro-damage to the rock surface, cleaning microorganisms, and removing surface vegetation.”
DigitEYE India carried out a separate search to learn how the statue was actually clean and maintained. A 2019 report published by China News Network states that workers carried out tasks including “clearing vegetation in the cracked and damaged areas,” “cleaning and dredging the bedrock surface and drainage system,” and removing cracked or damaged sections.This “physical examination” of the Buddha statue employed methods such as drone aerial surveying and 3D laser scanning to record the cracked areas of the Buddha and its chest and abdomen. The report further notes that “fiber optic monitoring system was used in the survey of damage” during the physical examination process.
Thus, the claim is false.
Read More :
