Carved into a cliff and more than 230-feet high, the LeShan Grand Buddha appears anything but hidden. Its stories and secrets, however, create an aura of mystery surrounding this world’s-largest Buddha. Sitting tall above the Dadu He and Min He rivers, the Grand Buddha took 90 years to complete. The dedication to this construction was inspired by the threat of a deadly river monster and the fundraising skills of a Buddhist monk.
In 713 AD, a river monster was allegedly terrorizing local seamen by flooding and capsizing boats. A Buddhist monk suggested construction of the Grand Buddha, promising that its presence would calm the waters. In addition to the spiritual safety offered by the looming Buddha, and to further safeguard the monk’s pledge, the construction team built the statue with a hollow body to allow sailors a place of refuge. Another creative (and functional) touch is the Buddha’s drainage system. Still in working order, pipes carved into the sculpture’s body ensure that rain water flows off of the structure to reduce weathering.
As a testament to the Buddha’s excellent construction, it continues to reign as the tallest carved statue in the world. And with a big toe nail measuring 28-feet long and 1,021 buns of curly hair and individual rocks so large they could each host a picnic, the Grand Buddha is poised to face any challenger that comes its way – river monster or otherwise. The legend of the Grand Buddha is but one of many that flourish in the Chinese countryside; which will you discover when touring this majestic land with Globus and The Little Travel Consultant?
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