Taliban preserving Bamiyan buddhas.

Why in news?

• Taliban are preserving Bamiyan buddhas, with eye to attract Chinese investment.

About Bamiyan Buddhas:

• It is situated in the Hindu Kush in the central highlands of Afghanistan.
• Bamiyan Buddhas date back to the 5th century AD and were once the tallest standing Buddhas in the world.
• They were locally known as Salsal and Shamama.
• They were great examples of a confluence of Gupta, Sassanian and Hellenistic artistic styles.
• In 2001, Taliban began blowing up the two statues.
• Following this, UNESCO included the remains in its list of World Heritage Sites in 2003.