Leshan Giant Buddha Statue
Literally made of the mountain, the giant Buddha Head located outside the city of Leshan, China, is the largest stone Buddha in the world. Also among the oldest statues, work on the project begun in 713 AD, not to be completed for another ninety years. At over 71m (233 ft.) tall, the Buddha statue was carved out of a cliff side. Located at the conflux of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers, they flow beneath his feet as he gazes out toward the distant Mt. Emei. Located in the southern part of Sichuan province, Leshan is loosely translated as "happy mountain."
Conceived by a single monk named Hai Tong to calm the rivers that regularly dashed ships against the shore, he collected alms for two decades before having enough to begin the carving of the statue. Eventually, the many tonnes of material that was dropped into the river far below during excavation was enough to alter the currents and make the waters more navigable. When government officials became aware of the funds gathered, they tried to collect taxes from Tong. Telling officials he would rather give them an eye than the Buddha's money, Tong gouged out his own eye and offered it to the horrified officials, who left, never to return. The work was only half completed when Tong died, leaving only two followers to carry on his work. Eventually thousands of workers joined them and finished the Buddha statue by 803 AD.
The Leshan Buddha statue, representing a stout, smiling monk, calmly sits resting his hands upon his knees. He is believed to be Maitreya, a Buddha and disciple of Sakyamuni, who is said to have founded Buddhism. Only the ears, 7m (23 ft.) long, are not made of stone. Instead they were crafted of wood, affixed and covered with clay. A complex system of gutters and channels help keep the monument relatively dry. A protective structure was also built to house the Buddha statue, but it was destroyed in wars of the 13th and 14th centuries.
Despite protective efforts, the Buddha statue continued to erode until restoration efforts were undertaken in 1963. In danger of being washed away forever, the effort has shored up the hillside statue. Over 40 years later, restoration continues with expert advice from international representatives. Recent renovations include removing built up soil from the body, cleaning the face, protecting the surrounding environment from pollution and repairing cracks with traditional materials. Subsequent restoration efforts will focus on preventing the pooling of water on Buddha's belly and feet.
A 21-member council of the United Nations declared the entire Mt. Emei Scenic Area a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. Meaning, over 180 countries recognize the area as a site of value to the whole human race that should be maintained for future generations. Since inception as the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1972, over 860 sites worldwide have been named for cultural or natural value. With the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan (Afghanistan) in 2003, protection of this site has taken on an even greater international urgency.
The site is open to visitors daily and is serviced by ferry, bus and charter flight.