Rongxian Giant Buddha, Colossal Buddhist statue in Sichuan, China

The Rongxian Giant Buddha is a 36.67-metre seated figure of Shakyamuni carved into a sandstone cliff, its head level with the hilltop. The head alone measures 8.74 metres, the shoulders 12.67 metres across, and the knees 12 metres high. A ten-storey wooden structure with five roofs, built when the statue was carved, still shelters it.

Work on this statue began in 817 during the Tang Dynasty when Buddhist monks and carvers collaborated on the ambitious project. Completion stretched over years as artisans shaped the hard stone with basic tools.

The statue reflects Tang Dynasty religious practices, showing how Buddhist faith was expressed through monumental carving techniques. You can observe the craftsmanship in the face and robes, revealing the skill of the artisans who worked the stone.

The statue stands on the cliff northeast of Rongxian old town, on Dafo Road in Zigong, with the Rongxi River below and the town at its feet. The ten-storey wooden shelter with five roofs still encloses the figure, so much of the visit is indoors and the carved head is seen from close range. The temple grounds cover about 80,000 square metres, with the halls arranged around the Buddha.

The head measures 8.74 metres and its top sits level with the hill's summit, so the carving rises straight out of the ridge. A local saying sums it up: "The mountain is a Buddha and the Buddha is a mountain." Look for traces of reddish pigment on the topknot above the brow.