Buddha Maitreya - what awaits humanity with his arrival? Big Buddha of Leshan. Ancient irrigation system of Dujiangyan Buddha Mountain and Buddha Mountain
Maitreya Buddha statue in China – one of the tallest statues in the world. It is carved into the rock of Mount Lingyunshan, located at the confluence of three Chinese rivers in Sichuan Province. For a thousand years, the statue has been considered the tallest sculpture in the world. The height of the Buddha statue is 71 meters. The uniqueness of the statue is that the Buddha is depicted sitting on a throne - this is rare in Buddhist iconography.
Story
The Buddha statue in Leshan is one of the oldest. It stands in a place where three rivers merge and create dangerous whirlpools. According to legend, the statue of the supreme deity appeared thanks to the monk Hai Tun, who decided to appease the elements in this way.
He collected money for the construction of the statue for many years and began construction work in 713. When the Buddha statue was raised to the knees, Hai Tong died. But his main goal was achieved: fragments of the cut down rock fell into the river and partially covered its streams.
Thus, giant buddha in Leshan tames the violent temper water element. The monk's work was continued by the rulers of Sichuan. Ninety years later, one of the most large statues Buddha's world was ready.
During the carving of the Buddha statue in the rock, a thirteen-tiered stone protection was built to prevent negative natural influences, which was subsequently destroyed as a result of military operations.
Description
The Buddha's face is turned to the expanses of water, and his hands rest on his knees. The huge 15-meter head reaches the level of the rock, and the feet stand in the river. The seven-meter ears are made of wood and attached to a stone face.
The Buddha is dressed in a tunic, along the folds of which rainwater flows - thanks to this, the rock does not crack. The statue of Buddha in China is surrounded by walls on which are carved numerous images of bodhisattvas - spiritual mentors of people. At the head of the Buddha there is a park and a temple complex.
Against the background of the giant monument, people seem like tiny insects. Tourists coming to China from all over the world surround his head on all sides and cascade down to his feet. A small group of tourists fits on each finger of the deity.
The statue can only be admired from a side angle; from the top of the rock one can observe the impartial face of Buddha, but his legs and body are hidden under the ledge. If you look at the statue from below, the entire panorama is occupied by knees, above which a giant face can be seen somewhere high.
Maitreya Buddha statue for tourists
Chinese Buddha statue forms a harmonious architectural ensemble along with a park and a temple complex. Entrance to the park is paid and amounts to 90 yuan. But despite this, crowds of tourists from all over the world rise daily from the foot to the very top in order to look at this amazing monument of architecture and art. The Buddha statue is a landmark that makes a trip to China special and unforgettable. Big Buddha it amazes not only with its size, but also with its expressiveness: its appearance as a giant literally breathes with greatness, nobility and kindness.
How to get there
There are different ways to get to Maitreya Buddha:
- Swim across the river - the ship brings you directly to the entrance to the park.
- Take a taxi or local bus across the bridge.
- Walk along the embankment around and cross the bridge to the statue.
A narrow, steep and long staircase leads down to the foot of the statue, which is always crowded. Along the way, on the walls you can see small Buddha statues made of sandstone. Unfortunately, they are gradually being destroyed, and no one is engaged in their restoration, since all expenses go to the big Buddha.
In the Chinese province of Shanxi, archaeologists have discovered several thousand Buddha figurines hidden in three caves. The height of the figurines is 12-25 cm. Inscriptions found immediately on stone slabs give reason to assume that the time of creation of the figurines dates back to the reign of the Ming dynasty.
As scientists say, such items were popular during the Tang Dynasty, so this find can be considered unique.
Buddhism in China has a history of thousands of years, and images of Buddha are found everywhere in the country. China is home to many Buddha statues, both ancient and modern. We will talk about the largest of them below.
1. Buddha from Leshan.
This is perhaps the most famous ancient Buddha statue in China, which has gained worldwide fame. The statue is located in the central Chinese province of Sichuan. A huge statue of Buddha is carved right into the rocks of Lingyunshan Mountain. The time of construction of the statue dates back to the reign of the Tang Dynasty. Work on its creation began in 713 and took ninety years. The face of the stone sculpture is directed towards Eimeishan - sacred mountain, towering directly opposite. The head of the statue rises level with the surrounding rocks, and the legs of the statue rest against river waters. The height of the statue reaches 71 m, and the width of the shoulders is about 30 m. This is one of the largest Buddha statues on the planet. The passing centuries have left their traces on the statue and changed the original appearance of the statue. Once upon a time, the Buddha was decorated with a wooden gilded “armor”, which served as protection for the statue from bad weather, but during a fire the wooden shell of the statue burned down. Local residents even say in this regard that slowly the mountain turns into Buddha, and Buddha turns into a mountain.
2. Buddha of the Spring Temple.
This giant Buddha statue is located in Zhaocun, a small village in the Middle Kingdom. The statue depicts one of the 5 sacred Buddhas - Buddha Vairocana. The statue was created after the Afghan Taliban blew up several ancient Buddha statues. In China, they perceived this fact very negatively and, in response, built their own tall statue Buddhas on the planet. As a result, a statue of Buddha appeared in Henan province, symbolizing the respect of the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom for the Buddhist heritage of their country. Construction of the statue proceeded at an accelerated pace and was completed in 2002. The height of the Zhaotsong Buddha reaches 128 meters. The statue itself reaches a height of 108 meters, and another 20 meters is the base of the statue, built in the shape of a lotus flower. And this entire structure rests on a 25-meter pedestal. In 2010, a small reconstruction was carried out architectural complex and as a result, the hill on which the statue is located was processed in the form of two huge stone steps, which added height to the structure. After reconstruction, the height of the complex reached 208 meters, which was recorded in the Guinness Book. During the construction of the statue, 15,000 tons of structural steel, 108 kilograms of gold, and 33 tons of copper were used. The statue was created in parts, which were then mounted on a single structure. The number of components from which the statue is assembled is 1100 units. The construction of the statue cost $55 million, of which $18 million went directly to the statue.
3. Grand Buddha from Wuxi.
This Buddha statue is located in Jiangsu Province and is the world's largest Buddha statue made of bronze. The height of the statue, rising on Lingshan Hill, reaches 88 meters. The weight of the giant statue is more than 800 tons. You can get to the statue by climbing a staircase of 217 steps. The Grand Buddha is located near Xiangfu Temple and Taihu Lake, both popular tourist attractions. Recently, a temple in the shape of Buddha’s hand was completed near the Grand Buddha.
4. Big Buddha of Hong Kong.
This giant statue of Shakyamuni Buddha rises on Mount Ngon Phin, located on Lantau Island. According to the architects, the statue should symbolize harmony in the relationship between nature and people, man and faith. The design of the structure began in 1976, but work on the construction of the statue began only in 1990. High-ranking representatives of Buddhism from China, Japan, Korea, India and other countries came to Hong Kong for the grand opening of the complex in 1993. The Big Buddha statue is assembled on a steel frame on which 202 individual bronze parts are attached. The face of the statue is covered with gilding. The Buddha sits on a three-tiered pedestal in the shape of a lotus flower, which is a copy of the Beijing Temple of Heaven. The Buddha reaches 34 meters in height and weighs more than 250 tons. The area of the architectural complex is more than 6.5 thousand sq.m. A staircase with 268 steps leads to the statue. The Buddha sits in a meditative position, and the right hand of the statue shows Abhaya mudra, which protects and dispels fears. On the palm of the Buddha there is a wheel of Dharma, which is supposed to symbolize progress. The fingers of the statue’s left hand show the Kubera mudra, which helps to make wishes come true. In front of the statue there are 6 small bronze statues of bodhisattvas who present gifts to the Buddha. These gifts symbolize meditation, wisdom, patience, morality - everything necessary to achieve enlightenment.
Look at one of the largest in the world Buddha statues possible in the Chinese province of Sichuan. On one of the rocks of a mountain called Lingyunshan, which is located near the city of Leshan, a huge Buddha is carved, which is visible for many kilometers around. This statue is listed as a monument World Heritage UNESCO.
Work on creating the sculpture lasted for 90 years, starting in 713, but after its completion the multi-meter image was not visible, because it was covered by a temple building 13 floors high. But in the 17th century the temple burned down, and the huge Buddha appeared in all its splendor.
The idea to make a giant Buddha statue came from a monk named Hai Tonga. The guide told us a legend: this monk hoped that the statue would be able to calm the stormy current of the river, thereby allowing ships to cross the river in safety. According to the same legend, during construction, huge blocks of stone were thrown into the river and it, in fact, became calmer and safer.
In general, this place is a whole complex with a park, a temple and many sculptures.
A long winding staircase leads upstairs.
There are a lot of interesting things along the way, where the Chinese are crowded and several guides with loudspeakers try to shout over each other.
Hieroglyphs are carved on the rocks.
The ancient images were slightly damaged by vandals.
The steps end at a platform located at the top of the hill. Here it is Buddhist temple. There are many very beautiful and unusual sculptures of saints inside.
Behind the temple there is a small and beautiful park, where we walked for almost an hour. There is even a small pond with fish. On the outskirts of the park there are several abandoned temples, where there was not a single person at all.
This place is called "Tiger Cave".
Sculpture of a deity in the park.
But the highlight of the whole complex, of course, is the impressive statue of Buddha. When you see this statue, it seems that the glare of the giant literally radiates nobility, greatness and kindness.
Gifts are laid out at the foot of the Buddha statue.
The statue's face is looking at sacred mountain called Emeishan, which is located opposite. The Buddha's head is at the same level with the mountain, and the soles of his feet seem to rest on the river.
The dimensions of this statue are simply amazing: the total height is 71 m, an almost 6-meter nose is carved on a 15-meter head, the width of the shoulders is almost 30 m, the length of the toes is 1.6 m, and the length of the hands is about 8 m. But The beauty and grandeur of this statue lies not only in its size, but also in its artistic design. The spiral tufts of hair built into the head appear to be one whole. The 7-meter wooden ears of the statue are so perfectly inserted into the stone head that even modern builders respect this.
Even during the construction of the statue, a complex drainage system was installed in it. Surprisingly, even now this plexus of pipes, invisible from the outside, built into the body of the Buddha, works properly. Pipes drain rainwater and prevent the destruction of stone. In general, once upon a time there was a huge pavilion with a golden roof above the head of the statue, which protected it from the sun and rain, but in the 13th century it was destroyed by the Mongols and for some reason they did not restore it.
The observation deck is at the level of Buddha's ear. From it you can look at the city.
I liked everything except huge amount tourists, so it is best to come to the complex on weekdays.
23-meter copper statue Buddha Maitreya, built with the assistance of the famous Chinese Yonghegong Monastery, was opened at the Dashchoilon Khiid Monastery in Zuun Khuree, Sukhbaatar district of the capital of Mongolia, on Sunday, July 1.
Senior officials and religious figures from Mongolia and China, including Mongolian Prime Minister Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and Chinese Ambassador to Mongolia Xing Haiming, attended the opening.
Construction of the statue began in 2010.
Ambassador Xing Haiming noted that China and Mongolia are friendly neighbors whose ties are strengthening in a variety of areas.
“Today’s event is an example of deepening religious relations between the two countries,” he said.
Maitreya Buddha, or Maidar Burkhan in Mongolian, considered by most Buddhist traditions as the future Buddha, is also known as the Lover Buddha.
Maitreya (“He who is love”; Metteya; also Maitreya, Maitri, Maidar)- a bodhisattva and buddha of the future, who will appear at the end of this kalpa from the Tushita heaven, where he is believed to reside at the present time. In Far Eastern Buddhism, he is one of the most popular bodhisattvas and is associated with a future era of prosperity and bliss. The cult of Maitreya developed most of all in Korea, and was also significantly widespread at various periods in China, Myanmar and other Buddhist countries. Maitreya is the only bodhisattva who is revered by all schools of Buddhism, and the only one who is revered oldest school Theravada.
Tibetan Buddhist Temple Yonghegong (Mongolian Nairalt Nairamdah Sum)- a temple called “Palace of Peace and Harmony, Lama Temple”, “Yonghe Lamaseri”, or - common - “Lamaist Temple”. It is a monastery and temple of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, located in the northeastern part of Beijing. This is a large and significant monastery. The architecture combines Chinese and Tibetan styles.
Construction of Yonghegong began in 1694 under the Qing. Initially, the residence of the palace eunuchs was located here. Then the palace became official residence Yinzhen, the 4th son of the emperor, who ruled under the motto "Kangxi". When he himself ascended the throne in 1722 and began to rule under the motto “Yongzheng,” half of the building was given to the Tibetans as a monastery, the other half remained as a palace.
After Yongzheng's death in 1735, his coffin was placed in the temple. The heir of Yongzheng, who ruled under the motto “Qianlong,” gave the temple imperial status, replacing the turquoise tiles with “imperial” yellow ones. The monastery became the administrative center and refuge for many monks from Mongolia and Tibet.
The temple survived the fires of the Cultural Revolution thanks to the intervention of Prime Minister Zhou Enlai. The temple was reopened in 1981.
The Chinese city of Leshan in Sichuan province has become famous throughout the world thanks to its giant Buddha statue. To date, this sculpture is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest sculptural image of this deity. What are the dimensions of the Buddha statue in Leshan and what is its history?
Legends about the creation of the giant statue
The largest sculpture of Buddha that has survived to this day was created over the course of 90 years. The date of commencement of work on its construction is considered to be 713. The giant Buddha statue in Leshan is carved from the Lingyunshan rock. The sculpture was originally located inside the thirteen-story Daxiangge Temple, or Great Image Pavilion. In the seventeenth century, the wooden structure burned down. But the giant statue was not damaged at all due to the fire. Now the majestic huge Buddha can be seen from a considerable distance. There are many legends about the creation of this sculpture. According to the most common version, it was the monk of Hai Tong who proposed making the giant statue. He hoped that the statue of Buddha could pacify the turbulent rivers Minyan, Dadu and Qingyi, which intersect in this area. Interestingly, the water flows have actually become calmer. The thing is that during construction, stone blocks fell into the river. Another legend says that the Leshan Buddha statue was created to protect the area from heavy rains.
The largest Buddha in exact dimensions
The large-scale statue of Buddha created during his reign amazes even engineers with its size. The deity is depicted in a sitting position, with his hands resting relaxed on his knees. The statue is detailed and has survived to this day in excellent condition. The statue is made of stone, and only some of its individual elements are carved from wood. The total height of the sculpture is 71 meters. At the same time, the height of the head is 15 meters. The shoulder width of the stone Buddha is almost 30 meters. The length of the fingers is 8 meters. The nose of the giant statue is also striking in its size - as much as 5.5 meters. The length of the toe is 1.6 meters. Despite its scale, the Leshan Buddha statue does not look formidable or intimidating. On the contrary, the statue exudes calm and tranquility.
Description and photo of the attraction
The largest Buddha sculpture in the world is located in the park temple complex. The majestic statue looks at the sacred Mount Emeishan. On the walls around the giant figure you can see relief images of Bodhisattvas. There are more than 90 of them here. There are also many images of Buddha himself. The deity's feet rest on the river, and his head ends at the level of the mountain. On par with Buddha's ears is Observation deck, which tourists can climb along a long stone staircase. From here you have a breathtaking view of the city. At the head of the sculpture is the Pagoda of Souls, a Buddhist temple still in operation today. It is worth noting that the Leshan Buddha statue is not the only attraction in the area. The large-scale sculpture is located on the territory of a large complex. It's luxurious natural Park, on the territory of which you can see many shrines, historical architectural structures, sculptures.
Amazing facts and myths about the giant statue
Today, the Buddha statue in Leshan (China) is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Despite its considerable age, the statue is perfectly preserved. Many local residents Over the centuries, this fact has been explained by the mystical properties of the image of the deity. But in fact, the secret of the sculpture’s durability lies in the drainage system hidden from prying eyes. The creators of the statue hid a whole network of grooves and grottoes in the folds of clothing, on the head, arms and chest of the Buddha. Thanks to this solution, the sculpture is reliably protected from weathering and is practically not afraid of the effects of meteorological precipitation and temperature changes. Some standard-sized statues located in the same temple complex as the giant Buddha are seriously damaged. According to experts, the sculptures were damaged by vandals, and not by natural phenomena.
Useful information for tourists
Where is the Buddha statue in Leshan, how can tourists get to this attraction? From Chengdu you can get to the giant statue in 2.5 hours by bus or taxi. Airplanes fly to Chengdu from Beijing. Entrance to the temple complex is paid, the cost of visiting is 90 yuan. You can also admire the large-scale sculpture while walking on water bus. Every day, many tourists come to Leshan to see the local attractions, in particular the most famous among them is the giant statue. In Buddhist culture, local sculptures and buildings also have religious significance and are revered as shrines.