Leshan Giant Buddha
by Unknown Artist, 803
Details
- Year
- 803
- Medium
- Stone (carved from cliff face)
- Size
- 71 m (233 ft) tall
The Leshan Giant Buddha is a 71-meter (233-foot) stone sculpture of Maitreya carved into a cliff face where the Min, Dadu, and Qingyi rivers converge in Sichuan Province, China. A Chinese monk named Haitong initiated the project in 713 CE, hoping the Buddha's presence would calm the dangerous waters. Construction took 90 years, finishing in 803 CE.
It's the largest stone Buddha in the world. The figure sits with hands on its knees, facing the rivers. The head alone is 14.7 meters tall. Over a thousand buns of coiled hair were individually carved into the scalp. A clever drainage system hidden in the hair, collar, and chest channels rainwater away to prevent erosion. The engineering rivals anything produced by Ancient Egyptian or Greek builders, though it's far less known in the West.
The site became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 and draws millions of visitors annually to Sichuan Province.
About Leshan Giant Buddha
It stands 71 meters (233 feet) tall, making it one of the tallest pre-modern statues in the world. The head alone is 14.7 meters high, the shoulders span 24 meters, and 100 people can sit on the feet. The ears are 7 meters long.
90 years (713-803 CE). The monk Hai Tong initiated construction, believing a Buddha would calm the dangerous river currents. When funding was threatened, he reportedly gouged out his own eyes to prove his devotion. The stone debris actually changed the river currents, making the water safer.
The hair contains 1,021 individually carved spiral buns. A hidden drainage system (pipes concealed throughout the body) still functions today, carrying away rainwater to reduce weathering. A 13-story wooden shelter once protected the statue but was destroyed during Mongol wars.
Yes. It's at the confluence of the Min and Dadu Rivers in Sichuan Province, China, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. You can view it from boats on the river or climb stairs alongside the cliff face for close-up views.
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