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“The Great Buddha is an imposing figure,
with a head nearly 20 feet high and a
face that is the epitome of serenity.”
When we first entered there was indeed a hush, as people and The 500-ton bronze sculpture was first cast in 749 and is
worshipers stood in awe of the Great Buddha, a massive five-story original except for the massive head, which was toppled from
bronze sculpture that commands silence and respect. Some visi- the torso in an earthquake in 855. It was restored shortly after
tors bowed and prayed before the image of the deity while most that. The Great Buddha Hall was built in 752 and has been
shuffled past, eyes and mouths wide open. rebuilt over the centuries as the structure suffered damage.
In 1180 the hall was burned to the ground in an attack on the
The Great Buddha is an imposing figure, with a head nearly 20 feet temple, but the sculpture survived. A similar event occurred
high and a face that is the epitome of serenity. The seated figure in 1567, but because of ongoing warfare, the building wasn’t
raises its right hand in a gesture that seems to say, “Fear not.” restored until 1709.
114 WDT MAGAZINE WINTER 2018
