Ten Directions Samantabhadra Bodhisattva statue, Buddhist colossal statue in Jinding, China

The Ten Directions Samantabhadra Bodhisattva statue is a 48-meter bronze figure at the summit of Mount Emei, seated on a four-headed, six-tusked elephant. The bodhisattva has ten heads arranged in tiers, and the whole assembly rests on a lotus pedestal within a circular plaza. The statue is coated in gold, and its surface catches the light from different angles.

Construction of this monumental sculpture began in the late 1980s and reached completion in 2006, representing a turning point for Mount Emei's Buddhist heritage. The project coincided with a period of renewed religious restoration and development across the sacred mountain.

Samantabhadra is one of the four great bodhisattvas of Chinese Buddhism and is paired here with the elephant, his traditional mount; the ten heads correspond to the ten directions of space. Pilgrims on the summit circuit stop to bow and leave offerings, and the statue is a focus of the annual veneration of Samantabhadra at Mount Emei, his sacred mountain.

The statue stands at the Golden Summit (Jinding) area, reached by the cable car from Leidongping or on foot via the stepped trail from Jieyin Hall. The summit platform is exposed and often wrapped in cloud; the bronze surface and stone steps become slippery in rain, so grippy footwear helps. Mornings before the cloud builds offer the clearest views.

The statue's 48 metres are cast in bronze and surfaced with gold, so the finish changes with the weather rather than staying fixed. On clear days the gilded surface throws light far across the summit; in cloud it turns dull and grey. Look for the ten heads facing different directions, each turned toward a separate quarter of the horizon.