The eight-day festival will feature a colorful celebration and a series of artistic performances.

"We hope that reopening the Buddha can revive the local tourist industry and attract more people," said Changhua County Deputy Magistrate Lin Ching at a news conference on Tuesday.

Besides filling in cracks suffered during the earthquake and applying a new coat of shiny paint, the restoration project also added contoured lighting that will give the giant Buddha an additional glow against the dark sky.

The lighting system will make its public debut on Sunday after a blessing ceremony is held by senior Buddhist leaders.

The opening ceremony on Sunday will also parade the world's longest Chinese dragon -- 366 meters long -- operated by hundreds of troupers.

Several exhibitions have also been organized by the county government, two of which especially appeal to nostalgia.

Housed in exhibition halls inside the Buddha building, one will feature a collection of postcards of the giant Buddha, as well as sculptures and other souvenirs gathered since the landmark was built in 1961.

The other will display old photographs of the giant Buddha. The festival organizer appealed not only to the public for pictures taken at the site over the years, but also to famous celebrities and politicians for photos of them visiting the giant Buddha when they were young.

President Chen Shui-bian replied that he couldn't afford to take a photo with the Buddha during his childhood and therefore did not have a picture to offer.

The giant Buddha was once considered to be one of Taiwan's eight most important landmarks. Towering above the plains of Changhua, the figure is accompanied in its park by a shrine for worshipers to hold religious ceremonies and two eight-floor towers giving visitors a bird's-eye view of Changhua City.

For many citizens who are now more than 30 years old, the giant Buddha was a "must-visit" on elementary school field trips or graduation outings.

But as tourism developed in Taiwan, the traditional lure of the landmark faded, and visitor numbers have dwindled over the past decade. The Buddha's problems were compounded in 1999, when the earthquake left it marred by numerous surface cracks.

Combined with the unappealing fissures, the Buddha's gloomy, dull, black coating left tourists less impressed than ever.

But thanks to a NT$12.5 million (US$368,000) injection of funds from the Ministry of Transportation & Communications, the Changhua County Government has given the giant Buddha a complete makeover that it hopes will restore the religious icon's original luster.