Guanyin Statue

The Guanyin of Nanshan is a 108-meter (354 ft) statue of the bodhisattva Guanyin, sited on the south coast of China's island province Hainan near the Nanshan Temple Sanya. The figure has three aspects: one side faces inland, and the other two face the South China Sea, representing blessing and protection by Guanyin of China and the whole world. One aspect depicts Guanyin cradling a sutra in the left hand and gesturing the Vitaraka Mudra with the right; the second with her palms crossed, holding a string of prayer beads; and the third holding a lotus. As of 2018, this was the twelfth tallest statue in the world.

The Guanyin of Nanshan statue took six years to build and was enshrined on April 24, 2005, with 108 monks from various Buddhist groups in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, and Mainland China pilgrims. The delegation also included monks from the Theravada and Vajrayana traditions.

The island of Hainan has been an important place for Buddhism since it arrived in China. In Buddhism, a Bodhisattva achieved a very high level of knowledge and enlightenment and sought to enlighten all those around him. Avalokitesvara, also known as Guan-Yin, is often represented as female. She had twelve wishes during her life, and one of them was to live near the South China Sea. Today, Hainan is a holy site and is considered the home of Avalokitesvara.

Construction of the Nanshan Temple to mark the 2000th anniversary of the arrival of Buddhism to China. With the rapid urban growth on the island, the Guanyin of Nanshan quickly became popular and received many local and foreign visitors each year.