General Sleeps for a Thousand Years

　　Introduction      Whenever the sun rises and the mountain mist dissipates, looking east from the streets of Yeliguan, the towering General Cliff clearly reveals a massive reclining Buddha lying with its head to the west and feet to the east. Commonly known among locals as “General Sleeps for a Thousand Years.”

　　      This colossal reclining Buddha is formed by the silhouette of the mountains on the southeastern side of Yeliguan. From a distance, the Buddha appears to have its eyes gently closed, lying on its back with a serene expression, wearing an iron helmet. The outline of the upper body, especially the face, is clearly distinguishable and remarkably lifelike. According to a 1994 Xinhua News Agency report: “The reclining Buddha is about 5 kilometers long, and is the second giant Buddha discovered after the Leshan Giant Buddha. It is also the largest and most vivid among the three giant reclining Buddhas found in China.”

　　 Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province