Largest carved stone Buddha in the world

The Leshan Giant Buddha is a statue of Maitreya (a Bodhisattva usually represented as a very stout monk with a broad smile on his face) in sitting posture. The Buddha is located to the east of Leshan City, Sichuan Province, at the confluence of three rivers, namely, Min River, Qingyi River, and Dadu River. The statue makes itself the most renowned scenic spot in Leshan City. In December, 1996, the location of the Buddha was included by UNESCO on the list of the World Heritage sites. Begun in the year 713 in the Tang Dynasty, and finished in the year 803, the statue took people more than 90 years to carve. During these years, thousands of workers had expended their efforts and wisdom on the project. As the biggest carved stone Buddha in the world, Leshan Giant Buddha is featured in poetry, song and story.

Facing the river, the Buddha has symmetrical posture and looks which have been beautifully captured in its solemn stillness. It is 71 meters (about 233 feet) high, and has three-meter-long (about 11 feet) fingers. The eight-meter-long (about 27 feet) instep is big enough for one hundred people to sit on and the 28-meter-wide (about 92 feet) shoulder is large enough to be a basketball playground.

It was a monk called Hai Tong who initiated the project. His concern was for the safety of the long-suffering people who earned their living around the confluence of the three rivers. Tempestuous waters ensured that boat accidents were numerous and the simple people put the disaster down to the presence of a water spirit. So Hai Tong decided to carve a statue beside the river thinking that the Buddha would bring the water spirit under control. Besides, the fallen stones dropped during the carving would reduce the water force there. After 20 years' begging alms, he finally accumulated enough money for the plan. When some local government officials had designs on tempting this amount of money, Hai Tong said that they could get his eyeball but not the money raised for the Buddha. After Hai Tong dug out his eyeball, these officials ran away scared. The project was half done when Hai Tong passed away, and two of his disciples continued the work. After a total of 90 years' hard work, the project was finally completed.

The charm of the Buddha lies not only in its size but also in its architectural artistry. There are 1,021 buns in the Buddha's coiled hair. These have been skillfully embedded in the head. The skill is so wonderful that the 1,021 buns seem integral to the whole. Another architectural highlight is the drainage system. This system is made up of some hidden gutters and channels, scattered on the head and arms, behind the ears and in the clothes. This system, which helps displace rainwater and keep the inner part dry, plays an important part in the protection of the Buddha. The large pair of ears, each seven meters (about 23 feet) long, is made of wood and is decorated by mud on the surface. For craftsmen of thousands of years ago, it was not easy to fix these to the stone head.

The Leshan Giant Buddha was built during the Tang Dynasty (618–907AD). 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 carved stone Buddha in the world and at the time of its construction was thetallest statue in the world.

It was not damaged by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.

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 waters safe for passing ships.

The Leshan Buddha has fallen victim to the pollution emanating from the unbridled development in the region. According to Xinhua news agency: "The Leshan Buddha and many Chinese natural and cultural heritage sites have succumbed to weathering, air pollution, inadequate protection and negative influences brought by swarms of tourists." The local government has shut factories and power plants close to the statue. However, the statue is already suffering a "blackened nose" and smears of dirt across the face. The government has promised to give restoration to the site.

At 71 metres (233 feet) 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.

Today, there are still some strong currents where the three rivers meet - but none that threaten the tourist ferries.

Known as Dafo, the statue depicts a seated Maitreya Buddha with his hands resting on his knees, gazing across the river with heavy-lidded eyes. Maitreya is the future Buddha, who will appear to preach the dharma when the teachings of Gautama Buddha have faded away. He was especially popular during the 4th to 7th centuries and his images can be found throughout the Buddhist world, conveying his characteristic air of expectancy and promise.

Standing 71 meters (233 feet) tall, Dafo is the tallest Buddha statue in the world. His shoulders are 28 meters (92 feet) wide and his smallest toenail can accommodate a seated person. Each eyebrow is 18 feet long. According to a local saying, "The mountain is a Buddha and the Buddha is a mountain."

Several drainage passages hidden in the Buddha's hair, collar, chest, and holes in the back of his ears preventing the Buddha from serious erosion and weathering. He has been lovingly maintained on a regular basis throughout his 1,200-year history, but is still a bit mossy.

Visitors stare in awe at the Buddha from the tourist ferries and from a terrace next to his ear. On one side of the terrace is a modern statue of the monk Haitong, and behind is the Lingyun Temple Museum with exhibits on the construction and renovations of Dafo.

South of the Giant Buddha is Wuyou Si, which visitors pass on the way from the ferry to the Buddha. A pink-walled monastery founded in 742 AD, it has impressive decorations including splendid gate guardians, painted scenes from the Journey to the West (on the second hall) and amusing sculptures of arhats (inside the Louhan Hall).

On the other side of the gully on Lingyun Shan, there are signs for Han-dynasty tomb chambers, which suggest this site was sacred before the Buddha was carved.

The colossal 71-meter (233 ft) seated statue of Buddha (dafo) is located on a cliff at the confluence of two rivers, the Dadu He and the Min He, overlooking the town of Leshan, about 50 km east of Emeishan. The Buddha is so big that one hundred people can stand on any one of its feet.

Historical documents show that the carving of the Leshan Dafo was begun in AD 713. According to legend, there was a river monster that lived on the confluence of the rivers. The monster often caused floods that capsized passing boats. Believing that the statue would protect boats travelling up the river, Master Haitong, a Buddhist abbot of the Lingyun Monastery, initiated the project by raising the necessary funds.

The project commenced in the first year of the reign of the Tang Emperor Tang Xuanzong. Master Haitong hoped that the presence of the Great Buddha would subdue the monster and so pacify the swift currents thereby protecting the boatmen who traversed the treacherous river.

Master Haitong died when the work was only half done. Zang Chou and Wei Gao, two of his disciples, continued the work. After 90 years' effort, the Buddha was finally completed in 803, in the 19th year of Emperor Dezong's reign.

The Leshan Dafo takes the shape of a Maitreya Buddha, or future Buddha. He is depicted barefooted with drooping ears and has his hair arranged in a spiral topknot. His head is covered with 1021 buns of curly hair, each large enoughn to support a big round table. His chest is exposed and his hands rest on his knees. Carved from the side of the Lingyun Hill, with his head level with the cliff top, the gigantic stone sculpture faces Emeishan, with the rivers flowing below his feet. The rocks carved off the cliff to create the Buddha were deposited into the river. The volume of rocks was so much that it eventually subdued the river currents.

A sophisticated drainage system was incorporated into the Leshan Dafo when it was built. Until today the system is still in working order. It includes drainage pipes that were carved in 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 13 storey wooden structure was built to shelter it from rain and sunshine. This structure was destroyed during the wars at the end of the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368). From then on, the stone statue was exposed to the elements.

Erosion is the biggest threat to the Leshan Dafo. Strong winds, torrential rainfall, acid rain and visitors have all left their mark. The stone coils of hair on the Buddha's head have fallen down, the nose has turned black and the face has become speckled. Plants and fungi have begun to grow from the upper part of the body, while trash collected on his face, neck, shoulders, breast and feet. Furthermore, the water from the three rivers below have eroded the lotus foundation underneath the Buddha's giant feet. Over 30 holes have been discovered in the foundations.

Protecting this ancient monument is a concern down the agest. There are signs that small scale restoration work, conducted randomly by devoted individuals, were carried out. Since the formation of the People's Republic of China, a restoration schedule covering ten year cycles were implemented, but this has not completely resolve the problems caused by erosion.

Protecting the Leshan Dafo has received global attention, with experts from UNESCO overseeing the restoration work and the World Bank offering US$ 8 million in interest-free loans for the project. The municipal government of Leshan also promulgated a series of measures to protect the Buddha. These include improving the macro-environment of the scenic area by controlling pollution and setting a time scale for the removal of industrial enterprises. Reducing the pollution in the Minjiang River and the construction of a new highway passing through the area is part of the program. Through this combination of efforts, it is hoped that the environment around the Leshan Dafo will be greatly improved.

On March 24, 2001, a large scale repair job was launched by the Chinese government. It was the first maintenance project on the Leshan Dafo since its inscription into the World Heritage List. The first phase covered restoration to the Buddha's head, shoulders, chest, and stomach. The repair work took 36 days and cost over one million Yuan. The technicians mended the Buddha's coiled bun of hair, cleaned the face, cleared away trash and weeds from the body, removed any inappropriate cement coating, and repaired the damage with traditional materials. The second phase commenced on November 7, 2001, and is planned to be completed in August 2002. It focused on improving the drainage system of the Buddha's body, protecting it against water concussion on the feet, and weatherproofing the whole statue.

The mayor of Leshan declared, "The Buddha statue, which represents the high sculpturing skill and standard of ancient China, will stand forever in Leshan City through concerted protective efforts from all Chinese people". In addition to the Leshan Dafo, other attractions in the surrounding area include the Lingyun Monastery, the Great Buddha Temple, the Dongpo Tower, Green Water Tower, Linbao Pagoda, Cave of Master Haitong, and Jiuqu Plank Way.