The 7th-century Buddhas of Bamiyan in central Afghanistan were once the tallest standing Buddha statues in the world. But the legacy of Buddhism's roots in a predominantly Muslim country was destroyed in 2001. During their rule, the Taliban sought to eliminate pre-Islamic symbols, and thus bombed the two monumental Buddha figures – one 58 meters – and another 38 meters tall. UNESCO declared the valley a world heritage site in 2003, with plans to rebuild the site.

In the fifth episode of our special series, "Down the Road," CGTN correspondent Danial Khan visits Bamiyan to see what's left and what lies ahead.