The Giant Buddha of Leshan is certainly a marvel to behold as it sits serenely gazing at the beautiful Mount Emei. The olden statue is beautiful in its sheer size and splendour making the mere mortals almost invisible in its magnificent presence. The statue that has survived the winds and storms that brushed across its ruddy surface was built during the Trang Dynasty and continues to glow with unchanging grandeur. You can easily visit this ancient statue as you indulge in the comforts and delights of a Sichuan hotel such as Anantara Emei Resort & Spa to combine the modern pleasures with the ample glory of the centuries past.
The Giant Buddha of Leshan is recognized as the tallest pre modern statue in the world while also being renowned as the largest stone statue of Buddha in the world, heightening the appeal it holds by vast degrees. At the feet of the statue the rivers of the city flow. The Chinese monk Haitong led the construction of the statue back in the ancient days of long forgotten history, hoping that the tranquillity of the Buddha will calm the raging masses of water that were threatening to claim the lives and possessions of the ships that sailed the waters long, long ago. Committed to the task with a dedication unmatched, the monk Haitong is said to have even gouged his own eyes to show his zeal for the project when funding began to wane. The devoted monk however could not witness the completion of his project, but his committed disciples saw to it that their master’s life’s work saw its due conclusion after his death.
The statue that has such a glorious history to its credit has now started facing the threats of modernization as rapid and uncontrolled development in the vicinity has started to take a toll on the once beautiful structure. The growing numbers of tourists who have discovered the treasure have also added a share of tribulations to the statue with the surrounding areas being polluted by their waste. Necessary steps are now being taken by the government to ensure that the glorious statue will stand tall and strong to be admired and loved by the many generations that are to come.
Intrigued by history, art and food, Shazzana Hamid is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary. Disguised as Lavinia Woolf she writes of the exhilarating and enchanting. Google+