People take selfies during an event of the 20th anniversary of the Buddha destruction in Bamyan province, Afghanistan, March 9, 2021.(Photo: Xinhua)

 

Photo taken on March 9, 2021 shows an event of the 20th anniversary of the Buddha destruction in Bamyan province, Afghanistan.(Photo: Xinhua)

 

People attend an event of the 20th anniversary of the Buddha destruction in Bamyan province, Afghanistan, March 9, 2021. (Photo: Xinhua)

 

Photo taken on March 9, 2021 shows an event of the 20th anniversary of the Buddha destruction in Bamyan province, Afghanistan.(Photo: Xinhua)

 
An event was held in Afghanistan's Bamyan province on Tuesday to mark the 20th anniversary of the Buddha destruction.

The two Bamyan Buddhas, once the tallest standing Buddha statues in the world, were bombed and smashed to the ground by the Taliban in 2001 despite appeals from the international community.

The site of Buddha statues in Bamyan valley was named a World Culture Heritage site and simultaneously added to the list of endangered World Heritage by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2003.