Lingshan Great Buddha

Sunday we were off to Wuxi. We were going to see the Lingshan Great Buddha. This Buddha was built in 1996 and sits viewing over Tai Hu (Lake). The Buddha stands 88 meters tall from the feet to the top of his head. If you include the Lotus base it stands over 100 meters tall. It weighs about 700 tons. It can be seen from far, far, away. We saw it from the highway on the way into the scenic area. The entrance to the scenic area costs 103 RMB ($15 US).

After entering the scenic area the first thing that is seen are Buddha's footprints. These footprints are 1.2 meters long and 0.6 meters wide. The feet are flat and all toes are equal length. The equal length toes signify Buddha's equanimity to all living beings. Many people throw money into his footprint for a blessing. I took part in this activity.

At the heart of the park is the fountain. Around the fountain are 108 sutra turning cylinders. the cylinder is a special musical instrument used for blessing. One turn of the cylinder means reciting scriptures one time. The turning also results in charitable and pious deeds and in blessed longevity. In the fountain is a lotus bud that opens up to show the birth of the baby Buddha. There is a show a fountain show that is performed twice a day during the week to depict the birth of the baby Buddha.

After the fountain is the sculpture of devil suppressing. This sculpture tells the story of how Buddha achieved enlightenment through suppressing all devils. After six long and difficult years, Buddha sat himself under a Bodhi tree where after 7 days and 7 nights of deep meditation, he suppressed the demons of money, power, women, terror, and slander and became completely enlightened.

As we get closer to the Buddha, we approach his hand. The hand is a replica of his right hand on the monument. It is exactly the same size as the hand on the monument. This hand is rubbed for good luck. You will notice the wear line on the hand from all the "high fives".

People from all walks of life come to visit the Buddha. We noticed ordinary people like you and me, military officers, and of course, Buddhist monks.

As you approach the Buddha, there are over 200 steps you must climb to make it to the top. Once you get to the top, you can go onto the lotus platform and be with the great Buddha. You can really appreciate the size from close up.

From the top, you can overlook the whole scenic spot and see what the giant Buddha sees. From this location, you can see Tai Hu on a not so cloudy day.