Leshan Big Buddha. Ancient irrigation system of Dujiangyan. The largest Buddha in exact dimensions

A 23-meter-tall copper statue of Maitreya Buddha, built with the assistance of China's famous Yonghegong Monastery, was unveiled at 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 revered by all schools of Buddhism, and the only one revered by the oldest Theravada school.

Tibetan Buddhist temple Yunhegun (Mongolian: Nairalt Nairamdakh 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. The palace then became the official residence of 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.

In the Chinese province of Sichuan, near the city of Leshan, a giant sculpture was carved into the thickness of the Lingyunshan rock. Buddha Maitreyi. For 1000 years, the 71-meter-high Leshan statue held the first position in the ranking of the tallest monuments in the world (at this moment The tallest statue in the world is the Buddha statue of the Spring Temple, located nearby - the height is 153m including the pedestal). According to the ancient architects, the great must be embodied in gigantic sizes, because Maitreya is revered by all schools of Buddhism. Maitreya is the future Teacher of humanity. Sooner or later he will appear on Earth, achieve enlightenment and preach dharma - the path of piety. But why exactly 71 meters? Because such a height in Chinese calculus is equal to 360 Chinese fathoms - a symbolic number: so many days in the Chinese year, vital points in the body.

Buddha statue in Leshan- one of the oldest in the world. It is installed in the place where three rivers merge, the oncoming waters of which create dangerous whirlpools and many people died. local residents and fishermen. As the legend goes, the monk Hai Tun decided to appease the elements by carving a sculptural image of the supreme deity in the rock. Hai Tong spent about twenty years collecting the money needed to build the Buddha statue. When the monk finally raised money for construction, people from local authorities came to him to take money from him for the development of trade and infrastructure of the town. But he was not going to part with the money needed to build the project. The officials were unhappy and did not contribute much to the construction.
But, Hai Tong still began carving a Buddha statue in Leshan. The monk died when the statue was half finished. His work was continued by his disciples, and after about a century the Leshan Buddha Statue was completely completed. While cutting down the statue in the rock, the workers threw stone fragments into the river, as a result of which it was partially covered water flows. Thus, it turned out that the Buddha tamed the stormy temper of the river.

Buddha statue in Leshan- the embodiment of the universe. A giant, 71-meter tall Buddha sits facing sacred mountain Emeishan with his hands on his knees. His huge, 15-meter head rises level with the rock, and his feet rest against the river. The Buddha's ears (each 7 meters long) are carved from wood and skillfully attached to the stone face. The enlightened one is “dressed” in a stone tunic, the folds of which drain rainwater, preventing rock cracking. In the walls surrounding the statue are carved stone images of 90 bodhisattvas - spiritual mentors of people. At the head of the giant there is a pagoda of souls 38 meters high and broken temple complex with a park. Against the background of the monument, spectators appear to be tiny insects. A stream of tourists, like a swarm of bees, surrounds the Buddha's head on all sides and cascades down the rock to his feet. A small group of tourists can sit on any of the giant’s toes (toe length is 1.6 m). Each viewer tries to find the most convenient point for viewing, but is forced to examine the statue only from a side angle. From the top of the rock, the impartial face of the Enlightened One is visible, while his legs and body are hidden under the ledge. Below, the entire panorama is occupied by the knees of Buddha, above which a gigantic face can be seen somewhere above. The statue is not created for contemplation: in Buddhism, the entire universe is nothing more than the body of the Buddha (Buddha-kaya) or the body of Truth (dharma-kaya), and it is incomprehensible through the senses or the mind. But it is Dharma-kaya that connects a person with the truly existing, allowing him to achieve the purest and highest state of “supramundane” existence. As they said in China: “We achieve Perfect Enlightenment when the heart merges with the base of the stone monument.”

The statue was equipped with a number of important features to protect against erosion and rain. However, it gradually began to decompose until it was renovated in the 1960s. Chinese government. Inside the sculptural work there is a skillfully constructed drainage structure, which is almost impossible to notice from the outside. Grottoes and grooves, hidden in the folds of clothing, on the hands, head, and chest of the Buddha, serve as drainage systems and protect the sculpture from weathering and destruction. Since then, the Buddha statue has been in good condition, although there has been some blackening of the statue due to pollution from nearby coal factories.

Until the mid-17th century, the body of the Big Buddha up to the very head was hidden by the thirteen-story Daxiangge Temple, originally called the Pavilion of the Great Image. This building was later destroyed by fire.

Entrance to the park where the Maitreya Buddha statue is located costs 90 yuan. But, still, from the foot of the statue of the Great Buddha to the very top, crowds of tourists rise to a height of about a hundred meters every day, who came on excursions from all over the world in order to admire this unique monument of art and architecture.

The Maitreya Buddha statue in Leshan (Leshan Dafo) is the tallest Buddha statue on the planet (at least seated). Over the last millennium, it remains the tallest sculptural work in the world. It is located in a scenic location in the Lingyuan Mountain Rock, near the confluence of 3 rivers and the city of Leshan. The face of Buddha is directed towards the Chinese sacred mountain Emeishan.

Almost a hundred bodhisattvas are carved on the walls to the left and right (on the southern and northern walls of the Buddha).

The statue was carved for 90 years during the Tang Dynasty, starting in 713. The height of the statue is 71 m, the height of the head is 15 m, the length of the finger is 8 m, the length of the toe is 1.6 m, the length of the nose is 5.5 m, and shoulder span - 30 m.

Until the 17th century Buddha's body was hidden up to his head behind the walls of the 13-story Daxiangge Temple, but it was later destroyed by fire.

There are many more attractions in the park, including a pagoda, several temples, a large old bell, gazebos and ponds.

The main temple, right behind the Buddha, is impressive in its scale and interior sculptures, which at first glance are not at all Buddhist, but rather Indian in theme.

There is even a tiny cave with a statue. The cave is very small, but this becomes clear only when you look inside with a light source.

Another important “feature” of Buddha Park is the queues for the descent to the Buddha. I read somewhere that the queue for the highest outdoor elevator in the world in the Avatar Mountains in China can reach 4 hours. It’s not all that scary here; you’ll only have to go down for an hour and a half.

But for me this is too long and I, using my long legs, climbed over the fence several times and climbed in front of the astonished Chinese. Amazed and jealous of me, I guess. Some, for example, grandmothers, were sometimes unhappy and subsequently tried to get around me on the narrowest sections of the stairs as one person. I certainly deserve it, but their behavior is truly dangerous and creates unnecessary congestion.

At the entrance to the park, after the bridge, there is an inconspicuous inspector with whom, in principle, it is quite possible to come to an agreement. At the top of this nearby park is a large, cute wat.

The view from it is also good.

On the way to it there is a small complex of burial caves, typical of this region, where the custom of burying the dead in caves with gifts is very common. There are at least 100 such caves in the region.

There is also a beautiful bridge on the way.

To visit the park and Buddha you need to buy a ticket for 90 yuan (45 for students). But I recommend for those who like free passes to come to the second exit, towards the wooden bridge. There are not very bright-eyed guards on duty here, and I personally saw how a foreigner coming towards me right in the building of the passage in this place passed very successfully. I don't think there is any good reason not to try this.

You can reach Leshan and the Big Buddha from Xingnanmen Station in Chengdu by bus in 2 hours one way. From the bus station in Leshan you need to take bus 13 and after 40 minutes get off at the entrance to the park if you are going to enter through the main entrance.

You can go back on the same bus, even going down from the second park. From the wat at the top of the mountain there are signs to the bus.

You can also view the Leshan Big Buddha from the water by purchasing a ticket at the Leshan pier near the bus station. This is what most foreigners do. It is also cheaper, but you will spend about 10 minutes near the Buddha himself, no more. But within the park itself there is room to wander.

Dujiangyan Irrigation System

Dujiangyan and its famous ancient dam (irrigation system) dating back more than 2,200 years are located in the opposite direction from Leshan, northwest of Chengdu. This is the oldest surviving irrigation system, which has been regularly saving Sichuan from droughts and floods since the 3rd century BC.

Before the construction of the dam, the Minjiang River valley was flooded every year, which significantly affected crops and safety. In 256, the official Li Bin, with the support of his son, created a unique and inherently very simple water management system, which successfully copes with its task to this day. The dam, shaped like a fish, divided the river into 2 branches and allows irrigating 5300 sq.m. arable land of Western Sichuan.

Li Bing was deified by the local population for his services, and at their expense a temple was built at the top of a hill in the park.

By the way, in order to gain the support of the local population, Li Bing, in addition to creating the engineering solution itself, was forced to overcome animalistic superstitions, staged a banquet with the participation of a river deity, a scandal due to his impoliteness and a subsequent battle with the “spirit”, which was portrayed by a prepared bull. Subsequently, convinced peasants allowed themselves to be involved in the construction and for 7 years they destroyed the thickness of the rock, heating them with fires, which were then filled with streams of cold water.

Entrance to the park with a dam costs 90 yuan or 45 for students. If you do not exit from the main entrance/exit, please note that there is no public transport and you will need to walk a kilometer to find one. Taxi drivers, even if you order a car through the app, will charge 30 yuan to any point, even not very far away. The guys with whom I came to this park were so taken aback by this behavior of the taxi driver that it was not difficult for me to persuade them to go back the same way. True, it was not possible to climb up to the temples. The guys were in a hurry.

You can get to Dujiangyan from Chengdu by bus, but I don't know exactly from which station. I was driving from the direction of Jizhaigou and reached this place from a completely different direction. I wouldn’t specifically visit this place, but if you’re somewhere nearby or going to the Chinchenshan Mountains, then it’s worth dropping into the city for the dam.

While in Dujiangyan, I tried a cool herbal drink originally from Guangzhou.

The Leshan Maitreya Buddha Statue is one of the tallest Buddha statues on Earth and, for over a millennium, the tallest work of sculpture in the world. It is carved into the rock in Mount Lingyunshan at the confluence of three rivers in the Chinese province of Sichuan, near the city of Leshan.

(Total 9 photos)

1. The face of Buddha (Maitreya) is facing the sacred Mount Emeishan located opposite.

2. Buddha's head rises level with the mountain, and his feet rest against the river.

3. Work on the creation of the statue took place during the reign of the Tang Dynasty, starting in 713, and lasted ninety years.

4. The height of the statue is 71 m, the height of the head is almost 15 m, the shoulder span is almost 30 m, the length of the finger is 8 m, the length of the toe is 1.6 m, the length of the nose is 5.5 m.

5. It is recognized as a monument World Heritage UNESCO.

6. Until the middle of the 17th century, the body of the Big Buddha up to the very head was hidden by the thirteen-story Daxiangge Temple, originally called the Pavilion of the Great Image.

7. Later this building was destroyed by fire.

The largest Buddha in the world, China

There are places in the world that you seem to know everything about, that you see repeatedly in photographs, but all the same, when you once again come across an interesting image, you admire the people who did it. And when the opportunity presents itself to see them in person, you are filled with such excitement that it seems that this is one of the happiest moments of life.

In the Chinese province of Sichuan, near the city of Leshan, a giant sculpture of Maitreya Buddha is carved into a rock. For 1000 years, the Leshan statue, 71 meters high, held the first position in the ranking of the tallest monuments in the world. According to the ancient architects, the great must be embodied in gigantic proportions, because Maitreya is revered by all schools of Buddhism. Maitreya is the future Teacher of humanity. Sooner or later he will appear on Earth, achieve enlightenment and preach dharma - the path of piety. The Leshan Buddha statue is one of the oldest in the world. It is installed in the place where three rivers merge, the oncoming waters of which create dangerous whirlpools.

As the legend goes, the monk Hai Tun decided to appease the elements by carving a sculptural image of the supreme deity in the rock. For many years the monk wandered through cities and villages, collecting money for the construction of the statue, and in 713 he began construction. Hai Tong died when the statue of Buddha was made only to the knees, but he managed to achieve his noble goal.

While cutting down the statue in the rock, the workers threw stone fragments into the river, as a result of which the water streams were partially covered. Thus, it turned out that the Buddha tamed the stormy temper of the river. According to legend, when the local ruler demanded that Hai Tun give him the donations collected for the construction of the statue, he replied: “I would rather gouge out my eyes than give away the treasures of Buddha.” Soon the ruler came to the monk for money, but he pulled out a knife and fulfilled his oath, depriving himself of an eye. The confused extortionist retreated. After the death of the monk, his work was continued by the rulers of Sichuan, and after 90 years, in 803 the statue of the Enlightened One was completed.

Buddha statue in Leshan- the embodiment of the universe. A giant, 70-meter tall Buddha sits facing the expanse of water, with his hands on his knees. His huge, 15-meter head rises level with the rock, and his feet rest against the river. The Buddha's ears (each 7 meters long) are carved from wood and skillfully attached to the stone face. The enlightened one is “dressed” in a stone tunic, the folds of which drain rainwater, preventing rock cracking.

In the walls surrounding the statue are carved stone images of 90 bodhisattvas - spiritual mentors of people. At the head of the giant there is a pagoda and a temple complex with a park. Against the background of the monument, spectators appear to be tiny insects.

A stream of tourists, like a swarm of bees, surrounds the Buddha's head on all sides and cascades down the rock to his feet. A small group of tourists can sit on any of the giant’s toes (the length of the toe is 1.6 m). Each viewer tries to find the most convenient point for viewing, but is forced to examine the statue only from a side angle. From the top of the rock, the impartial face of the Enlightened One is visible, while his legs and body are hidden under the ledge. Below, the entire panorama is occupied by the knees of Buddha, above which a gigantic face can be seen somewhere above.

The statue is not created for contemplation: in Buddhism, the entire universe is nothing more than the body of the Buddha (Buddha-kaya) or the body of Truth (dharma-kaya), and it is incomprehensible through the senses or the mind. But it is Dharma-kaya that connects a person with the truly existing, allowing him to achieve the purest and highest state of “supramundane” existence. As they said in China: “We achieve Perfect Enlightenment when the heart merges with the base of the stone monument.” Interestingly, in the Middle Ages, the body of Buddha was hidden under a 13-tiered temple-tower, but this building burned down in a fire.

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The Big Buddha impresses not only with its size, but also with its expressiveness: the appearance of the giant literally breathes nobility, greatness and kindness.

Maitreya Buddha in Leshan- pacifier of the water element.

Inside the sculptural work there is a skillfully constructed drainage structure, which is almost impossible to notice from the outside. Grottoes and grooves, hidden in the folds of clothing, on the hands, head, and chest of the Buddha, serve as drainage systems and protect the sculpture from weathering and destruction.

At the top, on the mountain itself, at the head of the Buddha, there is a 38-meter-high pagoda of souls, as well as a temple complex and a park. On the walls around the giant there are carved images of Bodhisattvas (there are more than 90 of them) and numerous images of Buddha.

Maitreya is considered the future incarnation of the Great Teacher of humanity, and he is revered by all Buddhist schools, believing that one day he will appear on Earth, will definitely achieve enlightenment and begin to preach to people the path of piety - the dharma.

Buddha statue in Leshan installed at the confluence of three rivers. Once upon a time, their rapid flows, meeting, created stormy and dangerous whirlpools. According to legend, the Buddhist monk Hai Tun, seeing this, decided to pacify the elements by sculpting a giant sculpture of the Teacher in the adjacent mountain gorge.

Now, having arrived in Leshan, any tourist can admire the impressive sculpture. The face of Maitreya Buddha is turned towards the river, giant hands folded on his knees; its 15-meter head reaches the top of the rock, and its huge legs (toes are about 1.6 m long) almost touch the river. The Teacher's 7-meter ears, carved from durable wood, are skillfully fitted to the stone face. The Buddha is dressed in a tunic, along the carefully carved stone folds of which water flows during rain, preventing the destruction of the rock.

At the head of the colossal monument there is a temple complex with a small park, and in the rocks surrounding the statue there are carved statues of 90 bodhisattvas - the spiritual mentors of humanity.

In the Middle Ages, the Buddha sculpture was hidden under a 13-tiered temple built above it, but this building was destroyed by fire, and now, as before, the rocks are the only walls for the giant statue.

Interestingly, it is almost impossible to completely take in the Buddha statue in Leshan: an impartial face is open from above, but the legs are hidden under a mountain ledge, and from below the legs can be seen perfectly, but the face of the statue is almost completely covered by huge knees. The best angle is from the side, but it doesn’t allow you to see the entire monument in detail.

This feature was not given to the sculpture by chance. It is perfectly consistent with the Buddhist doctrine of the universe, according to which the whole world is the body of the Buddha (Buddha-kaya) or the body of the Law (Dharma-kaya), which is incomprehensible from the point of view of the senses and mind. That's why buddha statue in china not intended for viewing. Being the material embodiment of the Dharma-kaya, it connects people with the truly existing, allowing them to achieve a special state of the purest supermundane existence, which, according to Buddhists, is the true goal of every person’s life. On this occasion, the Chinese say the following: “We achieve Perfect Enlightenment at the moment when our heart merges with the base of the stone statue.”