Tian Tan Buddha, Hong Kong
The Big Buddha on Lantau Island is the world's largest outdoor sitting Buddha statue. This magnificent statue stands atop Mount Muk Yue's peak. Po Lin Monastery took 12 years to plan and build this bronze Buddha monument that represents Hong Kong's stability, China's prosperity, and world peace.
The Big Buddha Statue has become a famous icon in Hong Kong, drawing both local and international Buddhists and visitors. It is not only an exceptional work endeavor, but also a significant piece of Buddhist sculptural art in recent history. It is a valuable human legacy.
The statue's design was inspired by the Buddha's 32 laksanas, or "physical marks," as mentioned in the sutras. For its fullness and tranquil beauty, the face was modeled after Buddha Vairocana of the Longmen Caves. The gentle and smooth flowing lines of the Buddha Sakyamuni figure in Cave 360 at the Dunhuang Grottoes inspired the clothing and headgear. The statue was thus a confluence of the Sui and Tang Dynasties' sculptural art qualities when Buddhism was at its peak, skilfully mastered and conceptualized by the artist to mold the flawless design of the Buddha statue that we see today. Ms Hou Jinhui of the Guangzhou Institute of Fine Arts created the statue's plaster model. She began working in April 1982. The 1:5 scale plaster model was completed in February 1984, after the draft was revisited eight times following discussions and conversations with the artist responsible for the statue's conceptual design.
In 2000, the Big Buddha Statue was named the fourth of Hong Kong's ten engineering wonders. The top three were all public works projects, with the Lantau Link coming in first, the Hong Kong International Airport Passenger Terminal coming in second, and the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre Extension coming in third. The Big Buddha Statue was the first of the private sector initiatives.
The Big Buddha Statue represents the climax of Buddhist sculptural art from the past and now. It combines traditional bronze art with current science and technology, encapsulating the harmonious resonance of Buddhist spirit and modern civilization - a solemn embodiment of humanity's unrelenting search of moral happiness and peace on Earth.
Location: Ngong Ping Rd, Lantau Island
