NEAR the city Leshan in southern China.The 71m tall giant statue, which is a World Heritage Site, has been carved out of a hill side overlooking the confluence of three rivers. It is actually a statue of Maitreya, a fat laughing Bodhisattva who symbolizes brightness and happiness.
A monk named Hai Tong initiated the project in the year 713 during the Tang dynasty. Hai Tong believed that a Buddha statue would calm the turbulent waters of the rivers which posed dangers to fishing vessels passing through it. As it happened, so much stone was scraped from the hillside and discarded into the river that it indeed did change the currents, and rendered the waters much safer for passing the boats. Hai Tong did not live to see the finished statue which took almost 90 years to complete.
Till date Leshan Giant Buddha remains the largest stone sculptures and also the tallest pre-modern statue in the world.
A unique drainage system is reduce weathering -- hidden pipes carved into various body parts carry away the rain water and keep the inner parts dry. However, pollution caused by unrestrained developmental activities in the region has caused tremendous damage to the statue. UNESCO is currently helping with the restoration work.
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