Thousand-buddha Cliff Statues
the Thousand Buddha Mountain is situated on a
hill southeast of Jinan, China, and famous today for its many
Buddha images that had been carved out of the rock faces or
free-standing structures that were erected since the Sui dynasty
of 581-618 AD and its Xingguochan Temple. The hill runs east to
west and the top is over 500 feet high, becoming a park in 1959,
and includes the Yellowstone Cliff to its south and the Jueshan
Mountain on the east. The cliff occupies the northern flank of
the hill behind the temple, while the bottom has had five caves
carved out and there are about 130 Buddha statues carved into
the cliff that had been done during the Sui dynasty and are
still there. One of the caves houses 16 statues, and along the
face of the hill, there have been many other images carved out,
like temples, more Buddha statues and many structures. The
temple is about half way up the hill, with 300 stone steps
already built into the side of it to make the trek easier. The
entire park has been developed for the enjoyment of locals and
more importantly, tourists, with more and newer statues being
added to the huge collection. There are many other attractions
located here to enhance the area's appeal, making it more of a
family area because of the additions, like go karting, souvenir
shops, a chairlift and more. According to local guides, there
are now over 28,000 Buddhas resting here, with the biggest
Buddha lying down and stretching out for 50 feet.
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