Leshan Giant Buddha

Leshan Giant Buddha, the largest stone sculpture of Buddha in the world, sits at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers, east of Leshan City.

According to records, the carving of this giant Buddha was begun in the first year of the reign of the Tang Emperor Xuanzong (713 A.D.), and completed in the 19th year of Emperor Dezong (803 A.D.), a total of 90 years. It is famous for “the Buddha is a mountain, and the mountain a Buddha”.

Taking the shape of a Maitreya Buddha, who is depicted barefooted with drooping ears and has his hair arranged in a spiral topknot. His chest is exposed and his hands rest on his knees. Carved from the side of Mountain Lingyun, with his head level with the cliff top, the gigantic stone sculpture faces Mountain Emeishan, with the rivers flowing below his feet.

The total height of the Buddha is 71 meters, which is as high as the top of Lingyun Hill. It is lofty and massive with a symmetrical scale and with a 10 meters wide head, 5.6 meters long nose, 7 meters long ears, 5.6 meters long eyebrows, 3.3 meters long eyes, 3.3 meters long mouth, 3 meters long neck, 28 meters wide shoulders and 8.3 meters long fingers, and the height from the Giant Buddha's insteps to its knees is 28 meters. On its head, there are a total of 1,021 hair buns. Moreover, the drainage system has been skillfully concealed from the back of the Buddha's neck to its toes. The Buddha rests his feet at the confluence of three rivers, reclines his back on nine hills, overlooks EmeiMountain and dominates the old city, Jiazhou. With a dignified and solemn appearance and grand verve, the Buddha is the largest sitting Stone sculpture of Mile Buddha in the world. Taller by 17 meters than the standing Buddha in Afghanistan, Leshan Giant Buddha is therefore the tallest Buddha in the world and in 1996, it was added to the World Natural and Cultural Heritage List.

Besides all of these, by cruising over the Minjiang river right in front of Mountain Linyun one will be able to have a panoramic view of the whole mountain as a huge sleeping Buddha. On Mountain Linyun stands the Pagoda of the Souls. It is 125ft (38m) high built in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Seen from the pagoda you can appreciate a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside.

Publishes at : 07-09-16 23:14

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