The Zhongyuan Buddha (lit. 'Big Buddha of the Great Plains' and ) or better known in English as the Spring Temple Buddha is a colossal statue depicting Vairocana Buddha located in Foquan Temple (lit. 'Buddha Natural-Spring Temple') in the Zhaocun township of Lushan County, Henan, China, built between 1997 and 2008. It is located within the Fodushan Scenic Area, close to National Freeway 311. At 128 m, excluding a 25 m lotus throne, it is the second-tallest statue in the world after the Statue of Unity in Gujarat, India, which surpassed it in 2018 with a height of 182 m.

Description

Taking into account the 25 m pedestal/building atop which it is placed, the monument has a total height of 153 m., the hill on which the statue stands was reshaped to form two further pedestals, the upper one being 15 m tall. The total height of the monument is now said to be 208 m. The project as a whole was estimated to cost around $55 million, $18 million of which was to be spent on the statue. It was originally estimated to consist of 1,100 pieces of copper cast, with a total weight of 1,000 tonnes. The Spring Temple Buddha derives its name from the nearby Tianrui hot spring, whose water, at 60 C, is renowned in the area for its curative properties. The Foquan Temple, built during the Tang dynasty, houses the Bell of Good Luck, placed on top of the Dragon Head peak. This bronze bell weighs 116 tonnes. Inscribed within the statue's chest is a small reverse swastika.

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