The body of a monk was preserved in a giant pottery jar and removed three years later to be turned into a golden statue for worship.

Buddhist monk Fu Hou died in 2012 at the age of 94 after practicing Buddhism for nearly 80 years in Quanzhou, China. As a way to honor his devotion and inspire others, mummification experts sealed his body in a large pot. After three years in the jar, the body was removed, cleaned and covered in gold leaf. The body of Fu Hou now resides in a glass case on a mountain, where people can visit and worship.

Other than dried out skin, the body showed very few signs of deterioration. Monks whose bodies remain intact after mummification are said to be truly virtuous.