Stone Buddha

Stone Buddha

The stone Buddha is a cultural relic protected at the county level in Chengwu County.

A stone Buddha is housed in Jixiang Temple, located in the northeast corner of Baifutu Town, Chengwu County. The statue is carved from bluestone and features a nearly round form. It stands seven chi and two cun tall (approximately 2.4 meters), weighs around 5 metric tons, and depicts Shakyamuni Buddha. The Buddha has a disproportionately large head and a smaller body, curly hair, a low and flat forehead with a sacred dot in the center, flat cheeks, and an expression that is serene and tranquil. Regarding the era in which the stone Buddha was sculpted, Mr. Sun Xiu from the Dunhuang Research Academy believes that it was carved during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period.

There is a local legend about this stone Buddha: long ago, a flood struck the area. The Buddha arrived with the floodwaters, making a thunderous sound, drove the waters away, and then transformed into the stone Buddha, taking his place here to forever protect the region from disasters. May generations to come enjoy peace and prosperity. Of course, legends are just that — legends. Mainly because the history of the stone Buddha is difficult to verify in detail, some people have added a layer of mystery to it, making the story more vivid and colorful. Such tales align with the Buddhist ideals of compassion and salvation, reflecting the working people’s aspirations for a better life in times past.