2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06
The Buddha statue, located in the small Chinese province of Sichuan, near the city of Leshan, is considered the largest Buddha statue on Earth. Moreover, this is the highest sculptural creation in the whole world for over a millennium. The statue is carved in the thickness of the rock in the place where three rivers flow: Daduhe, Minjiang and Qingjiang. Previously, these three rivers were turbulent streams that brought everyone a lot of trouble and misfortune.
History of the erection of the statue
In 713, the monk Haitun decided to save people from the disasters that brought them three treacherous rivers. He gathered the craftsmen and decided to carve the Big Buddha on the rock. The largest statue of the Buddha was erected over the course of ninety years, it was a complex and lengthy work. To protect the sculpture from snow and rain, a wooden Dasyange tower was built over it, thirteen stories high. But later, during rebellions and wars, this building was destroyed by fire. On the north and south sides of the Big Buddha are carvedpictures of bodhisattvas. For many years, the statue of the Big Buddha was in the open air. During this period, the image has changed a lot. Only in 1962 did the Chinese government decide to restore the creation. At the moment, the Buddha statue in China belongs to the important cultural values of the state.
Ancient World Heritage Site
This world's largest stone Buddha sits against a rock and watches three rivers at his feet. The height of the statue is 71 meters, for more than a thousand years this creation has been ranked first in the ranking of the highest monuments in the world. Ancient architects assured that everything great should be embodied in gigantic proportions, and the great monk Maitreya is revered by all Buddhist schools as the future teacher of all mankind.
The legend of the great statue
According to an ancient legend, the monk Haitong 1200 years ago decided to carve the image of the supreme deity in the rock in order to appease the elements of the three rivers. For many years, the monk collected funds for the erection of the statue in cities and villages, and only in 713 did colossal construction begin. The monk did not live to see the completion of the Buddha statue when he died, it was only carved to the knees. But his great goal was achieved - the stone fragments that the workers threw into the river partially pacified the water flows. After the death of Haitong, the construction was continued by the rulers of Sichuan, and in 803, 90 years after the start of construction, the image of the Enlightened Buddha was completed.
Tourist attraction
The face of the Enlightened Buddha is visible from the top of the cliff, but his body and legs are hidden by a ledge. No matter how hard tourists try to find the most convenient place for a complete view, the Buddha statue is visible only from a side view. If you look at the sculpture from below, then the entire panorama is occupied by the knees of the Buddha, and somewhere far above you can see his giant face. But in Buddhism, the statues are not created for contemplation, the universe cannot be comprehended with the help of the mind or feelings. The entire universe is the body of Truth, or the body of the Buddha. But it is dharma that allows a person to achieve an enlightened being in earthly life.
You can enter the park adjacent to the statue for 80 yuan. To get closer to the statue, tourists must climb the stairs, on one side of which there is a cliff, and on the other - a rock.
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