How Did Ancient People Build A 40m Giant Buddha On A Cliff 1,400 Years Ago? | Lashao Temple

In a valley in Wushan, Tianshui, Gansu, ancient craftsmen transformed an entire cliff into a giant Buddha more than 40 meters high over 1,400 years ago.
The monumental cliff Buddha at Lashao Temple was commissioned in 559 CE by Yuchi Jiong, governor of Qinzhou during the Northern Zhou Dynasty. With no cranes or lifts, how did craftsmen build wooden scaffolding all the way to the top of the cliff, carve the Buddha high above the ground, shape it with clay, and finally paint it?
In this video, we visit the Wushan Cliff Grottoes Cultural Tourism Area to see the enormous cliff carvings of Shakyamuni Buddha, Manjushri and Samantabhadra up close, before continuing along the mountain path in search of Shuilian Cave.
From the Northern Zhou giant Buddha to natural caves and a valley where Buddhist and Taoist heritage coexist, this place preserves not only the remarkable skills of ancient craftsmen, but also more than 1,400 years of faith and history.
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