Anyue Gaosheng Giant Buddha, a provincial cultural relic site with international appeal

There is a purely English introduction below the cultural relic protection stele at Anyue Dafo Temple (Gaosheng Giant Buddha), which clearly shows the international reach of this provincial cultural relic site. It is not open to the public, and visiting is a matter of luck. I personally enjoy visiting cultural relic sites that require some negotiation with the preservationists, as those that are not open are usually the best. This time, I was particularly fortunate to be able to "sneak" in with staff from the cultural preservation agency without having to "beg" the preservationists. 🗿About Gaosheng Giant Buddha Gaosheng refers to Gaosheng Township in Anyue County. There is a niche with statues of the Three Sages of Huayan from the Southern Song Dynasty. The Buddha statue is nearly 5 meters high, hence the name Giant Buddha. The preservationist told me that all the statues here are priceless, but I suspect some of the stone carvings are modern replicas. 📸Highlights ✅Statues of the Four Heavenly Kings: With wide, staring eyes, lion noses, and catfish mouths, their expressions are exaggerated. They wear phoenix-winged helmets, much like Southern Song Dynasty generals. ✅Three Sages of Huayan: Vairocana Buddha is in the center, with Manjushri and Samantabhadra on either side. The highlight is the crowns on the Buddha heads. Vairocana Buddha wears a willow crown, Samantabhadra wears a five-Buddha crown, and Manjushri wears a seven-Buddha crown. 🤷🏻‍♂️Some history This was originally a formal temple, but the monks were driven out and it was turned into a school. The hands of the Buddha statues were deliberately damaged. If it hadn't been converted into a school, it might have been destroyed. The last time I heard the word "destroyed" was at Tapo. The Anyue stone carvings have really suffered a lot, and it's a miracle that they have been preserved. 📌Tips: Search for "Dafo Temple" (Yuelin Road East, Gaosheng Township) on Baidu Maps. The road up the mountain is narrow, but keep driving forward. There is a parking lot in front of the temple. The preservationists are an elderly couple, and everyone in the village knows them. Visiting depends entirely on luck.