Yiyang Reclining Buddha

Yiyang Reclining Buddha

The Yiyang Reclining Buddha, also known as the Nan Yan Reclining Buddha, stretches 416 meters in length, with a body width of 68 meters, a head length of 50.5 meters, and a mouth width of 12.3 meters. It has been hailed by Nimazeren, a renowned painter appointed by the 10th Panchen Lama and an authoritative figure in China’s Buddhist community, as the longest reclining Buddha in the world.

The Yiyang Reclining Buddha site is situated within the Guifeng Scenic Area in Yiyang County, Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province. The reclining Buddha’s rock formation is naturally formed, showcasing the stunning artistic charm of the scene depicting the passing of Sakyamuni. According to officials from the Guifeng Scenic Area Management Committee, the cave within the reclining Buddha mountain is said to have been carved by the legendary Yu the Great. In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, a monk named Shang Xiong built a temple inside the cave, naming it Longmen Rock Temple. During the Qianlong era, a local county magistrate surnamed He renamed it “Tiancheng Temple,” meaning “naturally formed.”

Upon entering through the Natural Bridge Cave, visitors are instantly immersed in a buddhaland ambiance. The Danxia landform within the Reclining Buddha Scenic Area features undulating, crisscrossing rock formations, interconnected pools, and lakes that wrap around the mountain cliffs. The mountain veins twist and turn through the water, boasting ninety-nine bays and thirty-six layers of heaven — earning it the nickname “water maze.”