Leshan Giant Buddha

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List

Type	Mixed
Criteria	iv, vi, x
Reference	779
UNESCO region	Asia-Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription	1996 (20th Session)

The Leshan Giant Buddha (simplified Chinese: 乐山大佛; traditional Chinese: 樂山大佛; pinyin: Lèshān Dàfó) is a 71-metre (233 ft) tall stone statue, built between 713 and 803 (during the Tang Dynasty), depicting Maitreya.^[1] It is carved out of a cliff face that lies at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers in the southern part of Sichuan province in China, near the city of Leshan. The stone sculpture faces Mount Emei, with the rivers flowing below his feet. It is the largest stone Buddha in the world^[2] and it is by far the tallest pre-modern statue in the world.

The Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.

History

Detailed close-up shot of the statue's face

Construction was started in 713, led by a Chinese monk named Hai Tong. He hoped that the Buddha would calm the turbulent waters that plagued the shipping vessels traveling down the river. When funding for the project was threatened, he is said to have gouged out his own eyes to show his piety and sincerity. After his death, however, the construction was stuck due to insufficient funding. About 70 years later, a jiedushi decided to sponsor the project and the construction was completed by Hai Tong's disciples in 803.

Apparently the massive construction resulted in so much stone being removed from the cliff face and deposited into the river below that the currents were indeed altered by the statue, making the water safe for passing ships.

A sophisticated drainage system was incorporated into the Leshan Giant Buddha when it was built. It is still in working order. It includes drainage pipes carved into various places on the body, to carry away the water after the rains so as to reduce weathering.

When the Giant Buddha was carved, a huge thirteen storey wood structure was built to shelter it from rain and sunshine. This structure was destroyed and sacked by the Mongols during the wars at the end of the Yuan Dynasty. From then on, the stone statue was exposed to the elements.

Degradation

The Leshan Buddha has been affected by the pollution emanating from the unbridled development in the region. According to Xinhua news agency, the Leshan Giant Buddha and many Chinese natural and cultural heritage sites in the region have seen degradations from weathering, air pollution, and swarms of tourists. The government has promised restoration work.^[3]

Dimensions

The size of a man at one of the statue's feet

At 71 metres (233 ft) tall, the statue depicts a seated Maitreya Buddha with his hands resting on his knees. His shoulders are 28 metres wide and his smallest toenail is large enough to easily accommodate a seated person. There is a local saying: "The mountain is a Buddha and the Buddha is a mountain". This is partially because the mountain range in which the Leshan Giant Buddha is located is thought to be shaped like a slumbering Buddha when seen from the river, with the Leshan Giant Buddha as its heart.

Gallery

The statue seen from the water.
The cliff to the left of the statue.
The statue seen from ground level.
The statue seen from above.
The head seen from the staircase.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Leshan Giant Buddha.

World Heritage Sites in China

East	Classical Gardens of Suzhou Fujian Tulou Lushan National Park Huangshan Mount Sanqing (Sanqingshan) Mount Tai (Taishan) Mount Wuyi (Wuyishan) Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and Kong Family Mansion, Qufu Ancient villages in Southern Anhui, Xidi, and Hongcun West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou

South Central	Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains Historic Centre of Macau Hubei Shennongjia Kaiping Diaolou and Villages Longmen Grottoes Historic Monuments of Dengfeng, including the Shaolin Monastery and Gaocheng Observatory Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area Yin Xu

Southwest	Chengjiang Fossil Site Dazu Rock Carvings Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, including the Jokhang and Norbulingka Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area Old Town of Lijiang Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas

North	Mount Wutai (Wutaishan) Chengde Mountain Resort and its outlying temples, including the Putuo Zongcheng Temple, Xumi Fushou Temple and the Puning Temple Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian Ancient City of Pingyao Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing Temple of Heaven, an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing Site of Xanadu Yungang Grottoes

Northeast	Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang

Northwest	Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor Mogao Caves Xinjiang Tianshan

Multiple regions	The Great Wall China Danxia Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties South China Karst The Grand Canal Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor Tusi Sites

Colossal Buddha statues

Coordinates: 29°32′50″N 103°46′09″E / 29.54722°N 103.76917°E / 29.54722; 103.76917

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