Photo Essay: The Giant Buddha of Leshan
Photo Essay: The Giant Buddha of Leshan
This was posted on the Discovery group more than 2 years ago, soon after my wife and I visited this famous Buddha, but I have now re-edited the photos and decided to post it on the Front Page to share with those who have not seen photos of my travels in China. I will be posting more of such Front Page photo essays that were posted years ago of my experiences in China over the next while, if anyone has interest in seeing them. I took the photos in the essay (save for the one of my wife and me, which was taken with my camera), except this first photo which is from the internet to indicate the view of the Giant Buddha taken from a boat on the river in order to display its full massive size, clearly indicated due to the size of the people on the stairs and at the Buddha's feet.
After having climbed Emei Shan (the holy Buddhist Mount Emei) in the morning, we were driven to the City of Leshan, which is also in the Province of Sichuan, P.R.C., to see the Giant Buddha, also known as the Grand Buddha of Leshan. I thought I was through with climbing steps and would find myself at the base of the giant statue looking up, but I was wrong. We had to climb stone steps all the way to the top. Some of the steps were fairly newly formed, others old, and some were giant steps that we had to climb one step at a time, and the older steps had varying depths and lengths making climbing them a real challenge. On our way up we could view the City of Leshan, which is located at the joining of two rivers, one very muddy and the other clear.
1 The City of Leshan, seen from across the river while climbing the steps to the Buddha.
2 As we climbed the steps we walked past deteriorated by age Buddhas set into the rock hillside.
3 We went past a fountain - a gargoyle head dripping water to the pool below.
4 A serpent guarded a larger pool in which I saw a large turtle swim across, and then a fish that jumped about a foot into the air - probably trying to escape the turtle. My wife is in the background.
5 Guarding the way was a stone tiger.
6 A sign to describe the 'Fat Monk' (sorry that it's unclear)
7 The fat Monk.
8 My wife and I finally arrive at the gate to the temple area before the viewing area - still more steps to climb.
9 Outside of the temple incense and candles are lit. I've never before seen candles like these.
10 Inside the temple, three golden Buddhas.
11 Beside them, encased in glass, were some strange figures.
12 Another Buddha in the temple.
13 And now we get to see the Grand Buddha - described in this sign.
14 First His head comes into view. To the right of His hairline you can just make out people viewing Him, and their size gives you an idea of His size.
15 It was impossible to get a photo of His whole body from where we were.
16 This sign is tell tourists they can get photos taken of themselves with the Buddha in the background for the equivalent of US$2.50 each.
17 The view of the Buddha from the other side, the spot where you saw the people viewing Him in my first photo of Him (no. 14 above).
18 These steps go down to the base of the Buddha. There is a sign at the top warning persons with heart conditions not to venture down the stairs. We did not go, even though I wanted to get a photo of the Buddha from down below. The original internet photo at the top of this article shows these steps with many people climbing them more clearly.
19 The carvings on this huge bell (at least 10 feet high) are magnificent.
20 And finally, the end of the tour, the way out.
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If you have any interest in seeing other photo essays of my travels in China, please let me know with a comment or a thumbs-up, and I will continue to post them on the Front Page.
Dear Friend Buzz: Please do continue to post photo essays.
Yours, like AMAc's and others brighten my day.
Thanks.
Enoch.
I will, Enoch. I see now that there are some members who are interested in other things besides Trump. We visited the Giant Buddha of Loshan in the afternoon after climbing the sacred Buddhist Mount Emei in the morning. Either tomorrow or the next day I will post my better edited photo essay about climbing that mountain.
Dear Friend Buzz: When our son was growing up, one summer he and I went to the football hall of fame.
While in Canton, OH we climbed Mt. Mc Kinley together.
Great memories of climbing conquest those.
E.
I concur with Enoch! Please continue. I enjoy seeing the life you live through your lens.
Thanks so much for sharing such stunning sights Buzz.
I really enjoy your photo essays!
I know that you appreciate my photos, and I thank you for always letting me know you've been there - if not with a comment, then with a thumb's up. I consider you to be a loyal "fan". LOL
Nice Buzz.
I guess they just carved it out of the mountain.
It is huge. The stairs look like a wild walk.
When I saw what they looked like up close, I didn't dare try to use them.
Very cool.
Thanks for taking us along.
Great photo essay Buzz,
I looked up some info on the Buddha and it 233 feet (71 meters) high and construction of it was completed in 803 AD..
Fascinating photos.
Thanks for adding that info - I didn't know those things.
Here is a link to a lot of information on the Buddha...Especially interesting is the built in drainage system that still works as intended.
Dear Brother Kavika: I witnessed a similar turning nature into a shrine of great proportion in Trenton, NJ.
No wait.
That was Gov, Chris Christie standing at a bus stop.
Sorry, my bad.
E.
Was the shrine next to a bridge, niijii?
It is one of the most impressive things I've seen in my lifetime.
Ah! The "Elephant in the Room"!
I greatly enjoyed this photo essay and look forward to seeing more. Thank you for sharing your part of the world with us, Buzz!
Mount Emei photos will be posted within the next day or two, and more to come after that. For twelve years I've seen, learned and photographed a lot here, and lived within the culture to the extent of marrying a beautiful and wonderful Chinese Buddhist who treats me as if I were her Emperor. You're never too old for a new adventure, just like Bilbo Baggins.
I'll definitely look for them. Through your eyes, I'm learning more about China and its beauty, and I thank you for this gift.
Thanks for the photos Buzz. They are very nice. I was in Taiwan, which I imagine was very much like China was during that time. Almost unrecognizable today.
Buzz is still the undisputed champion of "THE PHOTO ESSAY," not only because of the effort and quality his photo essays manifest, but especially because we are not otherwise likely to be presented with the particular interesting and unique content he provides.
Buzz's works are a golden asset to NT!
Yours are awesome, too ... so here's to both of you!
Many thanks for your kind comment, Jasper.
I'll drink to that. LOL
You, A.Mac, are MUCH too kind, and your compliments, coming from NT's MASTER PHOTOGRAPHER, humble me and I am extremely grateful and greatly encouraged to continue due to them.
The praise is well-deserved, Buzz. Everything I wrote is verifiable by virtue of what you post.
1 would love to visit a site like that, it makes me sad though because it reminds me of the giant buddha's that the Taliban destroyed in Afghanistan.
Unfortunately, and I've seen signs of it, Mao's 'Red Army' did its share of destruction of cultural relics as well.
Pretty cool, Buzz. Things like this are one of my favorite aspects of China. I've seen a number of smaller Buddhas outside caves or on mountains in China, but the biggest one I think was on Lantau island near Hong Kong. It's probably less than half the size of the one at Leshan and it's modern. I saw it first in 1992 when it was only partway constructed.
I'm aware of some of your experiences in China, and share your interest and appreciation of what we both have seen and found among the accomplishments of 5000 years of civilization.
You've added to my bucket list. The stairs in particular look worth a trip to Leshan.
Have you considered eventually having your ashes stored in a 'Chock Full Of Nuts" can and lodged at a mountain top in the Himalayas?
There is much to see in Sichuan Province around the city of Chengdu - I will be re-posting a number of edited photo essays from that area, which is not far from where I am now, in Chongqing (which is a City-State that was once part of Sichuan Province). The population of Chongqing is almost that of all of Canada.
Enjoy the pictures and see China from your viewpoint
Very cool photo essay Buzz! I am fascinated by the various giant Buddhas around the east. They are a gift from the ancient world.