China’s HUGE Buddha Statues!!!!
Dear blog friends,
Please take a look at these incredible beautiful and HUGE STATUES of various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas throughout China. I am so amazed with these statues and I hope to visit in the future. I wish to pay my respects to them very much. China traditionally had Buddhism flourishing and deeply entrenched into their vast/rich culture for thousands of years. It’s resurging now again….May everyone be benefitted by these holy Buddhas.
Share these with your friends. Let them be amazed also.
Much care, Tsem Rinpoche
Direction: North
Name: Big Buddha of Yungang (Shakyamuni Buddha)
Material: stone
Height: 17 meter
Year of completion: 524
Location: Shanxi Province, Datong City West 16km
北方山西的云冈大佛，第20窟释迦牟尼座像，石料，通高17米，公元524年建成。云岗石窟位于山西大同市城西16公里的武州山南麓，它依山开凿，东西绵延1公里，开大小佛龛2100多个，规模宏大，气势雄伟，有“东方罗马石雕”之美誉。
Direction: Central
Name: Big Buddha of Longmen (Locana Buddha)
Material: stone
Height: 17.14 meter
Year of completion: 675
Location: Henan Province, Luoyang City south 13km
中原河南的龙门大佛，卢舍那佛，石料，通高17.14米，公元675年建成。龙门石窟位于河南省洛阳市南十三公里处，南北长达1公里，它同甘肃的敦煌石窟、山西大同的云冈石窟并称中国古代佛教石窟艺术的三大宝库。这尊佛像把高尚的情操、丰富的感情、开阔的胸怀和典雅的外貌完美地结合在一起，具有高度的艺术感染力，实在是一件精美绝伦的艺术杰作。
Direction: Central
Name: Big Buddha of Lushan (Locana Buddha)
Material: gold plated bronze
Height: 168 meter (about 50 storeys)
Weight: 6400 tons
Year of completion: 2005
Location: Henan Province, Pingding Shan City, Lushan County, Shang Tang Zhao Village
中原河南的鲁山大佛，青铜材料，卢舍那大佛，通高168米，相当于50层楼高，重6400吨，公元2005年建成。 位于河南省平顶山市鲁山县上汤赵村佛泉寺内，总高168米（大佛身高108米，莲花宝座高20米，金刚座高25米，须弥座高15米），是全世界最大的佛像，称为“佛山金佛”。其造型庄严、飘逸、气势独特，真乃“当惊世界殊”。造型完整、有明确的说法手印的铜铸“佛山金佛”应运而生，成为新的中方佛。
Direction: East
Name: Big Buddha of Lingshan (Shakyamuni Buddha)
Material: bronze
Height: 88 meter
Weight: 700 tons
Year of completion: 1997
Location: Jiangsu Province, Wuxi City
东方江苏的灵山大佛，释迦牟尼立像，青铜材料，通高88米，重700吨，公元1997年建成。灵山大佛坐落于无锡马山秦履峰南侧的小灵山地区，大佛所在位置系唐玄奘命名的小灵山，故名灵山大佛。灵山大佛通高88米，佛体79米，莲花瓣9米。大佛慈颜微笑，广视众生，右手”施无畏印”代表除却痛苦，左手”与愿印”代表给予快乐，均为祝福之相。
Direction: West
Name: Big Buddha of Leshan (Maitreya Buddha), Sichuan Province
Material: stone
Height: 71 meter
Year of completion: 803
Location: Sichuan Province, Leshan City
西方四川的乐山大佛，弥勒佛座像，石料，通高71米，公元803年建成。位于峨眉山东31公里的乐山市，依凌云山栖霞峰临江峭壁凿造而成，又名凌云大佛，开凿于唐玄宗开元初年（公元713年）。历时90年大佛终告完成。佛像高71米，佛头长14.7米，头宽10米，肩宽24米，耳长7米，耳内可并立二人，脚背宽8.5米，可坐百余人，素有“佛是一座山，山是一尊佛”之称。
Direction: South
Name: Big Buddha of Tiantan (Shakyamuni Buddha)
Material: bronze
Height: 26.4 meter
Weight: 220 tons
Year of completion: 1993
Location: Hong Kong, Lantau Island
南方香港的天坛大佛，释迦牟尼座像，锡青铜材料，通高26.4米，重220吨，公元1993年建成。天坛大佛座落在香港大屿山海拔520米的昂平，是香港受欢迎的旅游景点之一。是全球最大的青铜座佛。佛像坐在268级的石阶上，端坐的佛像庄严肃穆，无论远观近看，都予人宁静祥和的感觉。美国权威地理旅游杂志《国家地理旅行者》极力推荐天坛大佛这项名胜。
Name: Samantabhadra Bodhisattva
Material: gold plated bronze
Height: 48 meter
Year of completion: 2005
Location: Sichuan Province, Emei Mountain
四川峨眉山金顶四面十方普贤金像是世界上最高的金佛，也是第一个十方普贤的艺术造型。金佛系铜铸镏金工艺佛像造像。金佛通高48米代表的是阿弥陀佛的48个愿望。“十方”一是意喻普贤的十大行愿，二是象征佛教中的十个方位。如果说公元980年安坐于万年寺高7.85米的普贤铜像作为峨眉山千年的镇山之宝，为这座佛教名山增辉千年的话，那么高达48米的十方普贤金像更是登峰造极之作。2005年底竣工，2006年6月18日举行开光仪式。
(artist’s impression after its completion in September 2011)
Name: Chitigarbha Bodhisattva
Material: bronze
Height: 99 meter
Year of completion: 2011
Location: Anhui Province, Jiuhua Mountain
安徽九华山地藏菩萨露天大铜像，位于安徽池州市九华山下柯村景区，为比丘立相，右手执锡杖，左手托摩尼宝珠，仪态安详，妙相庄严。地藏菩萨露天铜像气势恢弘，高达九十九米，与九华山九十九座山峰、金地藏享年九十九岁的寓意相一致。铜像采用铸造方式，选用仿金铜，2003年11月13日开工，到2009年3月铜像主体结构已完工，正在进行佛身铜壁板安装。预计年底铜像工程将建成，在2010年择日开光并向游客开放。
Name: Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva (Kuan Yin)
Material: cement
Height: 108 meter
Year of completion: 2005
Location: Hainan Province, Sanya City
海南三亚南海海上观音像高达108米，比自由女神像还要高15米。 钢筋混凝土材料。2005年4月24日举行开光大典。像体为正观音的一体化三尊造型，宝相庄严，脚踏108瓣莲花宝座，莲花座下为金刚台，金刚台内是面积达15000平方米的圆通宝殿。南海观音充分运用高科技手法，组合运用声、光、电技术进行大型灯光夜景演示，充分展示了“佛光普照”、“踏海而来”等观音文化艺术效果。观音是亚洲多数国家的信仰，观音的寺庙和佛像随处可见，观音信仰作为一种文化现象早已超越了宗教意蕴本身。
Name: Maitreya Bodhisattva
Material: bronze
Height: 33 meter
Year of completion: 2008
Location: Zhejiang Province, Fenghua City, Xikou Town
浙江奉化溪口雪窦山露天弥勒大佛2008年建成，是典型的中国化弥勒佛像。佛像具有比丘相，罗汉身，菩萨意，布袋形，佛之像。大佛用500多吨锡青铜铸造，佛像身高33米，表示弥勒身居33层天；莲花座高9米，另加基座14.74米，共56.74米。佛像集壮观、神圣、雄伟、高大于一身，为天下铜铸座像之最。奉化是佛教界普遍认同的弥勒化身——布袋和尚的家乡，留有许多布袋弥勒的文化遗迹和传说。
This is so spectacular, seeing these Buddha’s and Bodhisattva’s of that size helps to reinforce the Dharma. It is great that China allows these statutes to be built all over the country with such grandiose size. Truly magnificent.
Besides the saying that Buddha statues induce merit, giant size compassion and bodhicitta would be far more impressive. What is the motivation to build them?
In early Buddhism, they only depicted a flame or a sun as Buddha to show the effect his teaching of the Dharma had on the audience, according Buddha’s words: “who sees the Dharma sees me.”
Beware of sugar-sweet meaningless symbolism, giant toys for infant minds, eventually only inflating ones confusion.
These huge Buddha statues are indeed magnificent! Building huge statues like these creates harmony, peace and stability in the region and also reinforces Dharma. Of these statues, I have visited the Shakyamuni Buddha statue at Lantau Island, Hong Kong and Big Buddha of Leshan (Maitreya Buddha), Sichuan Province. I felt really really awesome when I stood next to them. The experience was exhilarating especially when one visits together with Tsem Rinpoche.
Thank you, Rinpochela, for sharing the pictures – such splendour! I was so glad to see the visitors standing at the feet and on the lotus pedestal of the holy statues, viewing and planting good imprints in the mind!
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing these wonderful pics with us.
Obviously the time, cost and man power involved in each and every buddha statue of this magnificant size is unimaginable. It is also through the construction of these huge buddha statues that shows how precious the buddha dharma is.
It is said that the creation of any buddha images create vast amount of merits, the amount of merits is equivalent to the number of atoms the image is made up of. It is also heart warming to know that the Chinese are giving so much importance to Buddhism. May all these accumulated merits help to spread Buddha’s teachings far and wide.
May our huge Tsongkhapa statue for our KWPC (Kechara World Peace Center) manifests quickly in Malaysia!
dear rinpoche all nice statue.my eye so happy to see buddha.thank you for so much for shere.if i have karma sure one day i viji al nice and holy pleces.
Magnificent, breath-taking and beautifully made statues.
I find the stone statue at Yungang, Longmen and Leshan, natural.
The one at Lushan and Lingshan towering.
The one at Sichuan and Anhui, artistic.
The Avalokiteshvara at Hainan, serene.
The Chitigarbha at Anhui, awesome and beautifully set behind the greens and mountains.
And the Maitreya at Zhejiang, colorful.
These Buddhas are awesome!
I think of all the tourists going there “innocently” and being blessed, seeds of enlightenment planted in their mind-stream.
I think of all farmers and passers by that can see the Buddhas from far away and that also receive blessings.
I think of all the workers and contractors erecting this statue as a “normal job” but creating merits fueling a future spiritual journey.
I think about the birds flying around this symbolic representation of an enlightened body and creating merits.
Really, the erection of these statues is not about the Buddhas, it is about sentient beings needing guidance through the Buddha’s teachings. It’s for us lah…
Wonderful!
How stunning, thank you Rinpoche for the pictures.
It’s amazing to know how rich Buddhist history is in China and how much it is a part of Chinese culture and tradition…. the Cultural Revolution may have destroyed many things on the outside, but it is heartening to see that there are many traces of this left.
I’m really glad to see the Chitigarbha statue being built in Anhui province – isn’t it great to see that statues are still being built and restored throughout the country? Looks like even the cultural revolution couldn’t quash the faith and love for Buddhas that is inherently within the fabric of Chinese culture and people.
Jia you! More buddhas to come!
May the victory banners of Buddhadharma flutter all over China soon! Sadhu! Sadhu!
My dear Lama
Thank you for sharing these pictures. I love them, and they are all magnificent. I always feel happy and peaceful whenever I see beautiful Buddha statues.
I have seen many work of art during my past travels and seen many statues and paintings created by great artists such as Michaelangelo and Da Vinci. But, they cannot be compared with the experience of seeing a serene beautiful Buddha’s face.
Warm regards
Valentina
Dearest Rinpoche,
Thank you for sharing! I aspire to visit all these beautiful, magical sites!
Having visited the very tranquil, serene and very beautiful “Hai Shan Kuan Yin” – Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva on the waters/sea in Hainan Island, one cannot help but feel utterly bless and speechless. Through the kindness of my brother, my mum and nephews had the great opportunity to “Bao Fuo Jiao” – To pay homage at the Lotus Feet of Avalokiteshvara last year – yes we went up to the landing at the Lotus!
The feeling is most exhilarating for us as my parents, family, have the opportunity to make pledges, contribution towards the building, construction from 1999 … Seeing the beautiful Avalokiteshvara cpmpleted, paying homage and staying at the hotel right there with a direct view – is really wonderful.
The farmers, people of Hainan – “Heartlanders” have all chipped in, together with many tourists to build what is there and more to come. Hainan Island has had many natural disasters diverted/lessened – like typhoons, floods, calamity. The surrounding areas too have enjoyed peace, harmony, thriving on love, compassion, kindness, understanding and enjoying health and abundance.
Construction is still on going to have 999 statues ( at the huge hall/gallery of the Lotus ) so that they have 1000 Buddha statues… they really make it happen!
All the above collective efforts is very inspiring and is something for us not just to think off but to embrace. And yes, it is up to everyone of us to make KWPC real and shining bright too!
Amazing statues. The Chinese are very blessed that their country is blessed by the magnificent presence of these images of enlightenment!
Perhaps the blessings of these images contributed to China’s rapid path to prosperity!
May more gigantic images be build for China to rise further. May powerful and pure teachings of Dharma touch the mindstreams of the Chinese to sustain their road to long-term success.
This is one aspect of Buddhist tradition that I wish the world could move beyond. The third statue was thrown up as a reaction to the FPMT’s controversial* Maitreya Project, and is therefore slightly higher. If the FPMT changes their plans, I suppose we will then see a “Buddha Race” motivated more by ethno-national rivalry than religious devotion.
*controversial, because it requires the Indian government to force the sale of farmland so that the project may proceed
A country that went into the heart of Buddhism, destroyed holy places and tried to snuff it altogether is now building huge towers of blessings. It is encouraging. You can’t kill the Truth.
Thanks Rinpoche. These giant buddha statues are amazing and its both humbling and blessing experience to be standing under the buddha’s feet. Hopefully one day, I will be able to travel to these holy places and make offering to the buddha. Rinpoche, I am a great fans for your article on buddha statue/temples and thank you so much for the time and trouble for this wonderful article.
China is going through an exciting rennaisance; a shift from materialism to spirituality. It is about time the Chinese, as a proud and powerful race, takes leadership on exemplary display of compassion to their own countrymen first. On the surface China might pride herself to have many millionaires but all to no avail when there are many more millions destitute, hungry, alone, deperate enough to sell their kidney just for an IPad. Only when people have been touched by compassion can compassion itself starts to breed within the complex social fabric of an ancient civilization that have only recently been seduced by new found wealth. Wealth which innocently disguised as demons of the Three Poisons. Yes, the Chinese NEEDS the Buddha statues; lots of it. However, it is a refreshing start where youth are courting with Dharma. An exciting prospect that will propel China into a powerful nation…..with powerful compassion towards the world. I pray for the day to transpire during my life time.
This ‘collection’ of Buddha statues is awesome and inspiring just to behold! Thank you Rinpoche for sharing it with us.
It’s gladdens the heart just to see a ‘wave’ of construction of imposing statues in China, signifying, a spiritual revival.Despite the heart-wrenching destruction of statues in the wake of the Cultural Revolution,new and equally or more magnificent statues are now being created. The Chitigharba Bodhisattva, for instance, heralds a new type of ‘artwork’ and ‘a new look’ for a Buddha statue, something in keeping with the times.
When Dharma flourishes in the great powerhouse of China, as the signs for this to happen are there already,there will surely be a world -wide renaissance!May this come to pass for the benefit of all.
some of these sites had became a filming site…
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for sharing these information. They are awesome. Sadly statues of such stature were destroyed in Afghanistan.
I have visited the Locana Buddha in Luoyang. There are many other magnificent statues there thats carved on mountains and inside caves. Its a beautiful place and a big clean river flows along these statues. Of all the places I have visited in China, Luoyang where these statues are is one of my favourite. It has a very calming feeling there.
Very beautiful and super huge Buddha statues to behold!
They are a huge economy in the world now, and putting some resources towards building Buddha statues would help balance everyone’s spirituality. May the huge Buddhas open people’s heart and move them towards more spirituality in their life.