SAEDNEWS: Giant Seated Buddha Statue in China – The Majestic Stone Buddha of Sichuan Province and a Famous Tourist Attraction
According to Saednews, The Giant Stone Buddha in Sichuan Province, central China, near the city of Leshan, is one of the region’s major tourist attractions. It is recognized as the largest stone Buddha statue in the world.
The colossal statue stands 71 meters tall, with a shoulder width of 28 meters. A person can easily sit on the statue’s little fingernail. The Leshan Giant Buddha was carved into the beautiful and enchanting Mount Emei area, at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu, and Qingyi rivers.
Various plant species, similar to those found in subtropical regions, grow throughout the surrounding mountains. Some trees in the area are more than 1,000 years old. The statue, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996, is actually carved directly into a rocky cliff.
Water from the river flows beneath the statue’s feet. Some sources describe it as the largest premodern statue in the world. The Leshan Giant Buddha survived the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake without damage.
Construction of the seated Buddha began in 713 AD under the leadership of a Chinese Buddhist monk. However, following his death, work was suspended due to a lack of funding. Approximately 70 years later, a military commander became a patron of the project, and the statue was finally completed in 803 AD by the monk’s disciples.
After the construction of the colossal statue, a large, thirteen-story stone structure was built to protect the seated Buddha from rain and sunlight. However, the structure was destroyed and plundered during the Mongol invasions.
