Fluctuating temperatures are to blame for Buddha statues with missing heads in Beijing's famous Summer Palace park, officials said, dismissing speculation that they were vandalised.
Photos of Buddha statues, heads of which were missing, went viral on the internet over the weekend, sparking speculation that they may have been decapitated by vandals.
But the park's management said temperature changes caused the heads to expand and contract, eventually loosening them from the statues.
Park spokeswoman Li Kun dismissed vandalism as the cause, adding that the park regularly patrols the area around the statues, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The heads have been found but are too damaged to be attached to the statues immediately, Li said, adding that new heads will be attached to the statues within the next three months.
