The Banban Mountain Giant Buddha

The Banban Mountain Giant Buddha

The Banban Mountain Giant Buddha is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Also known as the Ziyang Giant Buddha, the Banban Mountain Giant Buddha is located in Beiji Town, Yanjiang District, Ziyang City, Sichuan Province. It is a Buddha statue carved into the cliffs of a mountain. The statue stands 22.24 meters tall and is 11.2 meters wide. There are varying accounts regarding when it was carved, with some suggesting the 17th year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty (643 AD) and others the 9th year of the Zhenyuan era (793 AD). Currently, it is listed as a Provincial Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit by Sichuan Province.

The Banban Mountain Giant Buddha gets its name from the mountain on which it sits, which resembles a crescent moon in shape—hence the name "Banban," meaning half-moon. It is located in Beiji Town, Yanjiang District, Ziyang City, and is the third-largest seated Buddha in the province, reportedly ranking 22nd in the world. Beiji Town is situated at the southern gateway of Yanjiang District, bordering Zizhong, and is over 20 kilometers from the urban area. Both the Chengdu-Chongqing Highway and the Chengdu-Chongqing Expressway pass through the town, making transportation convenient.

The Banban Mountain Giant Buddha is a cliff carving, meaning it was sculpted directly into the rock face of the mountain. It depicts the Maitreya Buddha in a seated posture and belongs to the Pure Land Buddhist tradition. The giant Buddha sits inside a rectangular niche, facing south, and measures 22.24 meters in height with a chest width of 11.2 meters. Its structure is majestic and rustic, exuding a grand aura that inspires awe at first glance. The Buddha’s face is round and full, with ears that reach down to the shoulders, an expression serene and tranquil, and eyes gazing gently downward—as if attentively watching worshippers, yet also appearing kind and approachable.

On the upper left side of the niche, there is a wall inscription where the nine characters “15th day of the 8th month, 9th year of the Zhenyuan era” are relatively clear, but the rest have been eroded and are difficult to discern. The middle section features the “Preface to the Great Buddha Assembly Stele.” Additionally, on the cliffs of Banban Mountain, there is a Northern Song Dynasty carving from the 2nd year of the Zhi Dao era (996 AD), stating that the mountain was formerly called Fusheng Mountain—the inscriptions are mostly worn away, and neither the author nor the calligrapher is identifiable. There is also a Southern Song Dynasty poem carved during the Qiandao era (1165–1173 AD), which reads: “A renowned temple of the Tang Dynasty, a great sacred site of Zichuan; hanging cliffs low with emerald mugwort, scattered rocks among tall bamboos; recalling ancient traces, ascending to a foreign land; the west window offers fine views, a brief rest in the praise master’s chamber.”

The construction of the Banban Mountain Giant Buddha spanned a long period. Its origins date back to the 17th year of the Zhenguan era of Emperor Taizong of Tang (643 AD) — though some say it began in the 9th year of the Zhenyuan era of Emperor Dezong (793 AD). Over 150 years and seven generations of effort, the initial form of the giant Buddha was gradually carved out of the cliffs. By 1131 AD (the 1st year of the Shaoxing era of Emperor Gaozong of Song), Mei Xiu, a lay Buddhist from southern Sichuan, along with master stone carver Zhou Yi and others, began carving the facial features of the immense Buddha, completing the work entirely. In total, it took 484 years to finish the Giant Buddha.

By the 7th year of the Jingtai era of the Ming Dynasty (1456 AD), Yan Zigong, Luo Shu, and others, together with the monk Haiming, gathered to build a temple next to the Giant Buddha, constructing five main halls. Below the cliff of the Giant Buddha, they also built, in accordance with Buddhist tradition, the Heavenly King Hall, Maitreya Hall, Mahavira Hall, Guan Yu Hall, and Sanxing Hall over 16 years, naming the temple the Great Buddha Temple. The temple was built magnificently with delicate carvings, including a complete illustration of Journey to the West. From then on, the Great Buddha Temple became increasingly popular and bustling with activity. From the carving of the Giant Buddha to the completion of the temple, the entire process took over 800 years. They are not only religious structures but also the fruits of the efforts, wisdom, and sweat of several generations, holding significant cultural and artistic value.

Over more than a thousand years, the Banban Mountain Giant Buddha has inevitably suffered from wind, rain, frost, and erosion. Especially during the Cultural Revolution, it was targeted as part of the “Four Olds” campaign and severely damaged—all auxiliary facilities were demolished. Later, extensive quarrying on the nearby mountain further scarred the Giant Buddha. The Great Buddha Temple was repurposed as a school and township government, and was demolished in 1971 and 1972 to make way for those buildings. The final destruction occurred in 1977.

In 1981, the Banban Mountain Giant Buddha was listed as a Provincial Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. In the winter of 1990, with funding from the provincial and county governments as well as public donations totaling over 300,000 yuan, preliminary repairs were carried out on the Giant Buddha. However, all auxiliary facilities and the temple had vanished, and cultural relics within the temple were lost—including the invaluable carvings of Journey to the West. Today, at the foot of the Giant Buddha lies a cluster of disorderly residential buildings. Only two century-old yellow-leaf tung trees remain in front of the original temple gate, still lush and green after hundreds of years, standing in silent witness to the vicissitudes of time alongside the solitary Buddha on the cliff.

In May 2013, the Banban Mountain Giant Buddha was listed as part of the seventh group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Protected Area: With the outer edges of niche No. 6 as the baseline, extending 375 meters east, 335 meters south, 255 meters west, and 250 meters north.

Construction Control Zone: Extending 130 meters east, 100 meters south, 300 meters west, and 110 meters north from the protected area.

Beiji Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Ziyang City. Established as Beiji Township in 1934, merged into Zhongji Township in 1940, re-established as a township in 1942, converted to a commune in 1958, reinstated as a township in 1984, and upgraded to a town in 1993. Located in the southern part of the city, 18 kilometers from the municipal government. It covers an area of 45.6 square kilometers with a population of 31,000. The Chengdu-Chongqing Highway and Chengdu-Chongqing Expressway pass through the area. It administers 13 village committees: Dangui, Banban, Renle, Yanjiachang, Dejiao, Gonghe, Changhe, Xianglong, Longwangmiao, Baoshan, Lianhe, Tongyi, and Taiji, as well as the Dahewan residential committee. The main agricultural products are rice, wheat, corn, and sweet potatoes, along with... Detailed information about Beiji Town++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units