The Great Buddha of Leshan, Chengdu is a statue of Maitreya in a sitting posture. The location of the Buddha is to the east of Leshan City in the province of Sichuan which is at the meeting of the three rivers, the Min River, the Qingyi River and Dadu River. The Great Buddha of Leshan, Chengdu is the most visited scenic spot in Leshan City and is on the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Great Buddha of Leshan, Chengdu - History
The construction of the statue started in the year 713 in the Tang dynasty and was completed in th eyear 803. It took more than 90 days to carve the stature. More than thousand of workers took part in constructing the statue. The statue is the biggest statue in the whole world and can be found in poetry, song and story.
A monk called Hai Tong started the project. He was concerned for the raging waters with boat accidents becoming usual. He thought of building a statue of Buddha to make Buddha bring the water under control and also thinking that stones falling from the construction in the river would control the water force.
The Buddha faces the river and has symmetrical posture and also looks. The Buddha is 71 meters in height and has three meter long fingers. The statue has eight meter long instep and 28 meter wide shoulder.
The charm of the Great Buddha of Leshan, Chengdu lies along with its size, the architecture artistry. The statue has 1021 buns in the coiled hair which have been embedded very intricately. The drainage system is another architectural wonder with its hidden gutters and channels. The pair of eyes is of seven meters long and is made of wood with the decoration by mud on its surface.
travel.mapsofworld.com provides online information on Great Buddha of Leshan, Chengdu as well as Chengdu Tourist Attractions
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