Giant Buddha of Leshan - Tourism Guide

The Giant Buddha of Leshan (aka Dafo ) is the largest stone Buddha statue in the world, carved by a monk of the eighth century in southern Sichuan Province in a rock . The Giant Buddha overlooks the confluence of the Minjiang , Dadu and Qingyi rivers and faces the sacred Mount Emei ( with which it derives its status as part of the World Heritage ) .

History
The construction of the Giant Buddha began in 713 AD. It was the idea of a Chinese monk named Haitong , the Buddha , which calm the turbulent waters that ravaged hoped the movement on transport ships in the river. His plans are not only supernatural - the enormous amount of debris would be carved away from the cliff are deposited in the river , changing currents and calm waters.

When was government funding for the project at risk, said the monk , who started his own eyes to show his piety and sincerity. The construction project was continued by his disciples and finally completed by 803 local ruler .

Today, there are still some strong currents where the three rivers meet - but none that threaten the tourist ferries . "Mount Emei Scenic Area with Leshan Giant Buddha " was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996.

What to see
Known as Dafo , the statue depicts a seated Maitreya Buddha with his hands on his knees, across the river , eyes narrowed . Maitreya is the Buddha of the future , which is displayed on the dharma when the teachings of Gautama Buddha has disappeared preach. It was especially popular in the 4th Century 7 and his paintings can be found throughout the Buddhist world , its characteristic air transport of hope and promise .

Standing 71 meters (233 feet) high , is the largest Buddha statue in the world Dafo . His shoulders are 28 meters (92 feet) wide and her little foot nail for a sedentary person . Each eyebrow is 18 feet long. According to a local saying: " The mountain is a Buddha and the Buddha is a mountain. "

Prevent certain passages in the hair of Buddha drainage , neck , chest and the holes at the back of the ear that the hidden Buddha serious erosion and weathering. It has been carefully maintained regularly on their 1200 years of history, but it is still a bit of foam.

Visitors watch in awe of the Buddha tourist ferries and a terrace next to the ear. On one side of the terrace is a modern statue of the monk Haitong , and behind the Lingyun Temple Museum with exhibits on the construction and renovation of Dafo .

Southern Giant Buddha is Wuyou Yes, give the visitor on the way to the ferry to the Buddha. A pink walled monastery founded in 742 AD, is decorated with splendid impressive , including gatekeepers , painted scenes of Journey to the West ( in the second room ) and amusing sculptures arhats (in Terminal Louhan ) .

On the other side of the gorge on Lingyun Shan, there are signs of Han burial chambers - which was sacred to this site, before the Buddha carved .

Highlights of Tibet - Travel Guide

Tibet is a rich and fascinating culture, attracts many visitors each year travel destination. So much for the excellent hiking in the mountains - including Everest base camp - or wildlife in national parks , or just to admire the beautiful scenery and long history has a cultural heritage of this region has to offer , it is easy to create a holiday with a difference. Here is a summary of some of the most popular places to visit during a private trip to Tibet or custom locations .

 

Lhasa
Lhasa is the capital of Tibet, but most have been replaced by the developments in China after the invasion in 1950 , but there are still parts of the old Lhasa , Tibet, in close collaboration with many vendors and bars serving traditional Tibetan food. There are three main attractions of Lhasa and all refer to the religion and history of Tibet. The Potala Palace on Marpo Ri hill, 130 meters above the Lhasa valley , is the most famous and remarkable structure in Tibet . It was built in the 17th century and was the residence of the leader of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama, but is one of the most important places of religious pilgrimage . You can also visit the Jokhang Temple and Barkhor in Lhasa Norbulingka , which was built as a summer residence in the woods outside of Lhasa.

Gyantse
S is the fourth largest city in Tibet , once an important center for trade with India is the place where the famous Gyantse Kumbum . It is a magnificent building has 8 floors with a magnificent golden dome and crown with city views . Also visit Gyantse Dzong is here. It is a long, steep climb to the top , but the view of the value of the city.

Xigatse
It is the second largest city in Tibet, with a population of 50,000 and the city is a commercial and administrative center of the bustling city. While driving in the city from Xigatse fortress on a hill overlooking the city, but most of the fort is a ruin, but a little " re - . Construction took place in 2007 , however, the Monastery Tashilhunpo , west of the city, is the main attraction . Xigatse monastery was the seat of the Panchen Lama built in 1447 and is the place where they lived. monastery houses the largest gold statue in the world , an impressive 26 meters high, Maitreya Buddha statue . statue was built in 1914 and was 900 in the last four years. said that 300 kilograms of gold is also full of precious stones.

Mount Kailash
This mountain is considered sacred by Hindus , Buddhists and Jains. It is also revered by the ancient Bon religion of Tibet , it says here that got the founder of the Bon religion, when he came down from heaven. Known in ancient texts as the center of the world. The reason can understand the significance of geography. Four major rivers of the Indian subcontinent are here Karnali , which feeds the Ganges , the Indus, the Sutlej and the Brahmaputra . The mountain is in Tibetan Kang Rinpoche, or known "Jewel in the snow. " No one has ascended to the top of Mount Kailash , but encountered many adventures pilgrimage around the foot of the mountain, which takes about 3 days.

Qomolangma National Nature Reserve
Qomolangma Nature Reserve was created in 1989 by the government to preserve the natural heritage of the region of Mount Everest in Tibet. Tibetan Everest approach offers better prospects than the Nepalese side and access is also much easier, as there is a road all the way to the base camp here, but you can not drive to the base camp . Rongphu Monastery is located at the foot of the glacier on the north face of Mount Jomolangma and is the highest monastery in the world .

Yarlung River National Park
Yarlong the river flows 2000 km through Tibet and flows into India, where they are known as the Bramhaputra . The region is one of the least explored areas of the world and is home to the king cobra , leopard, panda , musk deer , monkeys and tigers. The park is behind the ' great gorge that the river that runs through it and is reputed to be the world's deepest canyon centered . At a depth of 5382 meters form, which is the depth of the point , the Grand Canyon , almost three times is recorded.

Yamdrok Lake
 This is one of the three largest sacred lakes in Tibet. It is 72 km long and is surrounded by snow-capped mountains . Lakes are considered sacred because we think they are the homes of the gods and is a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists less. The lake is home to the famous monastery of Samding on a peninsula in the lake. This monastery is the only Tibetan monastery headed by a female reincarnation. Since it is not a monastery , Abbot does his wife by a community of about thirty monks and nuns. Samding Monastery is where the only female Lama in Tibet , stayed and presided .

Brief History of Baalbek - Travel Guide

The city of Baalbek is located in Lebanon, Bekaa Valley, about 85 kilometers northeast of Beirut and 75 km north of Damascus ( Syria) . Today the city is famous for its exquisitely detailed Roman ruins that attract thousands of tourists to the country each year and also hosts the annual Festival of Baalbek.

The site of Baalbek is thought to have been originally Phoenician , with settlement dates back to the 3rd millennium BC . In the first millennium BC , the site was chosen as the site of a temple dedicated to the god Baal , from which the city takes its name. In 334 BC, Alexander the Great conquered the Near East and the town was renamed Heliopolis, a name which was retained by later Roman conquerors - Helios , Greek for sun and Polis, Greek for city - City of the Sun ' .

In 64 BC Pompey the Great traveled through Baalbek and made the town part of the Roman Empire - this act was one that saw the city prospered occasioned enormous. Just 17 years later in 47 BC Julius Caesar established a Roman colony Heliopolis and construction works started soon . Only a few years later became known as Heliopolis, the most important city in Roman Syria . The construction of the temple was a large company that took many years . The Great Temple of Jupiter is said to have had 120 years to complete , however, under subsequent rulers like Antoninus Pius and Caracalla a series of expansions and elaborate extensions were added. An estimated 100,000 slaves worked in construction throughout the centuries .

At the time of Constantine the Great came to power in 324 , Christianity had reached Rome and pagan worship was suppressed , and as a result , construction was suspended Baalbek . Later, in 361, Julian the Apostate became emperor and turned back to paganism and tried to restore the entire Roman Empire . This act saw mass martyrdom throughout the Christian community and when the Christian emperor Theodosius took power in 379 , Christianity was reinstated again in Baalbek. This time the temples of Baalbek became Baalbek basilica but remained the center of pagan worship. This was enough for during the reign of Emperor Justinian , all pagan worshipers were forced to be baptized into the Christian faith to avoid secret pagan rites . Parts of the pagan temples were demolished and some of the greatest temples pillars were taken to Constantinople and used in the construction of Hagia Sophia .

When Muslim Arabs invaded Syria Roman temples of Heliopolis became a citadel and restored the original name of the city - Baalbek. In the following centuries the city was invaded by many empires . In addition to the devastation caused by humans, a string of earthquakes in 1158, 1203, 1664 and 1759 brought down many buildings , including 3 of the huge pillars of the temple of Jupiter. Many of the Roman ruins of the city can now be found in Arab fortifications - when Arabs built their walls inadvertently helped preserve Roman ruins that lie within.

While under Ottoman rule , Baalbek was virtually forgotten and few people have visited this once magnificent city. In 1751 two British architects - James Dawkins and Robert Wood rediscovered this ancient site , however , it was not until 1898 when Kaiser Wilhelm II was on a tour of the Middle East that a serious study of the site began . The Kaiser immediately contacted the Sultan of Turkey for permission to excavate the site completely. The next seven years saw Baalbek begin to return to its former glory with continuous excavations and documentation takes place and a steady stream of tourists who come to see this ancient city.In parts of the city, the work continues today !