The mummified body of a Chinese monk was unveiled to the public during the weekend in a religious ceremony.

Monk Fu Hou had been kept in a cylinder after he passed away three and a half years ago at the age of 94 at the Puzhou Temple in Quanzhou, south-east China’s Fujian Procince.

The cylinder was opened on January 10 at the temple and Fu Hou's remains were found perfectly preserved in a lotus position, reports the People’s Daily Online.

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Impressive: Monks gather around Fu Hou's mummified body during an unveiling ceremony in Puzhou Temple

Well-kept: Fu Hou's remains had been kept in a cylinder after he passed away three and a half years ago

Compassionate: Fu Hou was widely respected by his peers. Above is a picture of the monk before he died

Dozens of fellow monks got together to participate in the ritual to show respect for Fu Hou's mummified body, which is also called a 'flesh Buddha' in China.

According to tradition, his body will now be covered in a gold substance and made into a Buddhist statue.

Fu Hou was born in Jinjiang - also in Fujian Province - in 1919, and became a monk at the age of 13.

According to People's Daily, he was considered to be a wonderful monk by his disciples while preaching and was a quiet man who would always painstakingly practiced his belief.

Fu Hou is said to have little contact with the outside world, a heart of compassion and was widely respected by the younger monks and his peers.

Before he died, Fu Hou made the decision to have his body preserved.

Perfect preservation: Facial hair on Fu Hou's chin and eyebrows could be seen after he was taken out

After his death Fu Hou was placed in this cylinder (left). He was covered in charcoal and sandalwood (right)

Opening ceremony: Experts removed the charcoal and sandalwood that was used to preserve his body

When his body was revealed, Fu Hou was sitting in the lotus position, and his eyebrows and beard were still faintly visible.

Fu Hou’s golden statue will be placed in the ancestral hall of shrines at the Dongdan inner chamber once it's completed.

A video has been posted online showing experts removing the charcoal from his lifeless body to reveal his perfectly intact flesh.

Fu Hou’s opening ceremony was described as a success by his fellow monks.

Tradition: Buddhist monks have a sitting, sealing and opening ceremony for preservation after death

Worshipped: Now that he has been unveiled, Fu Hou will be covered in a gold substance and placed in a temple

Mummification dates back thousands of years and is a way to preserve a person’s body after death, it is practiced in various places around the world including Egypt, China and the rest of Asia.

At the beginning of 2015, mummified remains of a man apparently meditating were discovered in Mongolia with experts estimating the human relic was 200 years old.

Mummified remains of a monk were also found encased in a Buddha statue the same year, dating back to the 11th or 12th century.