11/29/06 ~ Leshan

On the Rio: Mickey Hart ~ Wheel of Time

The Chinese have a saying: "Buddha is a mountain, mountain is Buddha." Presiding over the confluence of 2 rivers, the Dadu and the Min, that sweep past the foot of Lingyun Hill at Leshan, is a large statue of Buddha.

Carved from the rock face, it is a staggering 233 feet (71 meters) high and is even more impressive for having been created over 1200 years ago during the Tang dynasty.

From Leshan ferry peir, boats go south to the Buddha.

The outsize diety (dafo) is more a marvel to behold for its scale rather than for any exquisite carvings. Haitong, a devout monk from neary Lingyun Temple, made this his labor of love, starting in 713, but he died before its completion 90 years later. He embarked on the project so that Buddha's presence would calm the turbulent waters of the rivers which had claimed so many lives -- and the story goes that it worked.

The Buddha's head alone is an awesome 50 feet (15 meters) high; his ears come in at a lengthy 20 feet (7.5 meters) and his sizable feet can hold an audience of 100 tourists while he looks down his his 10 foot wide (3 meter) eyes.

Amazingly, the big Buddha has survived a combined assault of civil war, exposure to the elements, and periods of anti-Buddhism hooliganism (including the Cultural Revolution). The statue was at one time covered by a protective wooden building (and one may be rebuilt again in the near future). An elaborate drainage system has been built inside to prevent the worst effects of weathering.

Climbing up to the Buddha's head I passed the impressive halls of the Tang dyansty Wuyou Temple, where I got to rub the belly of the laughing Buddha.

And in case you need to throw anything away, strange looking recepticles are available for your garbage.

Monks are building a new dormitory and study hall building at the site. I gave a small donation and got to paint my name on a roof tile, so I will always be a part of Leshan.