The Spring Temple Buddha ( and ) is a

colossal statue Colossal may refer to: * ''Colossal'' (film), a 2016 science fiction film starring Anne Hathaway * (Colossal) Pictures, entertainment company which closed in 2000 * Colossal (band), American punk band formed in 2001 * "Colossal", a song by Scale ...

depicting

Vairocana Buddha Vairocana (also Mahāvairocana, sa, वैरोचन) is a cosmic buddha from Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. Vairocana is often interpreted, in texts like the ''Avatamsaka Sutra'', as the dharmakāya of the historical Gautama Buddha. In East ...

located in the Zhaocun township of

Lushan County, Henan Lushan County () is a county in Pingdingshan, in southwest-central Henan Province, China, with a population of 830,000. This county is known for housing the Spring Temple Buddha, a giant statue of Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonl ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, built from 1997 to 2008. It is located within the ''Fodushan Scenic Area'', close to National Freeway no. 311. At , excluding a

lotus throne In Asian art a lotus throne, sometimes lotus platform, is a stylized lotus flower used as the seat or base for a figure. It is the normal pedestal for divine figures in Buddhist art and Hindu art, and often seen in Jain art. Originating in Indi ...

, it is the second-tallest statue in the world after the ''

Statue of Unity The ''Statue of Unity'' is the world's tallest statue, with a height of , located near Kevadia in the state of Gujarat, India. It depicts Indian statesman and independence activist Vallabhbhai Patel (1875–1950), who was the first deputy pr ...

'' in

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, which surpassed it in 2018 with a height of .

Description

Taking into account the pedestal/building atop which it is placed, the monument has a total height of . , the hill on which the statue stands is being reshaped to form two further pedestals, the upper one being tall. The total height of the monument is now said to be . The project as a whole was estimated to cost around $55 million, $18 million of which was to be spent on the statue. It was originally estimated to consist of 1,100 pieces of copper cast, with a total weight of 1,000 tonnes. The Spring Temple Buddha derives its name from the nearby ''Tianrui hot spring'', whose water, at , is renowned in the area for its curative properties. The Foquan Temple, built during the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

, houses the Bell of Good Luck, placed on top of Dragon Head peak. This bronze bell weighs 116 tonnes. Inscribed within the statue's chest is a small reverse swastika (sauwastika).

Gallery

河南鲁山县世界最高的佛教造像 - panoramio.jpg, Spring Temple Buddha 河南中原大佛 - panoramio.jpg, Spring Temple Buddha 河南大佛 - panoramio.jpg, Spring Temple Buddha Spring Temple Buddha picturing Vairocana, in Lushan County, Henan, China.png, Spring Temple Buddha Lszydfs.png, Hand of the Buddha Foot of the Spring Temple Buddha.png, Foot of the Spring Temple Buddha

References

External links

*Photographs:
close up

Fodushan scenic area
{{authority control Buildings and structures in Henan Colossal Buddha statues Bronze Buddha statues Copper sculptures in China Gold sculptures in China Buddhist temples in Pingdingshan Colossal statues in China 2008 sculptures Cultural infrastructure completed in 2008 Tourist attractions in Henan 2008 establishments in China

Description

Gallery

See also

References

External links