Spring Temple Buddha

중원대불

The Spring Temple Buddha, also called the Zhongyuan Buddha, is a giant statue of the Vairocana Buddha at the Foquan Temple in Lushan County, Henan Province, China. It was built between 1997 and 2008 and stands in the Fodushan Scenic Area, close to National Freeway 311. In Chinese its name means "Big Buddha of the Great Plains".

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At a glance

Country: China
Location: Lushan, Henan, China
Built: 2008
Height: 128 m
Type: Statue

Quick answers

Where is Spring Temple Buddha?

Spring Temple Buddha is in Lushan, Henan, China.

When was Spring Temple Buddha built?

Spring Temple Buddha was built in 2008.

How tall is Spring Temple Buddha?

Spring Temple Buddha is about 128 m tall.

A 128 m copper-clad Vairocana Buddha on a lotus throne, among the tallest statues on Earth.

Including its 20-metre lotus throne, the statue is 128 metres (420 feet) high. That makes it the second-tallest statue in the world, after the Statue of Unity in India, which reached 182 metres in 2018. Together with the 25-metre pedestal building under it, the monument is 153 metres tall, and after the hill below was reshaped into two more pedestals, the whole monument is said to be about 208 metres tall.

Where does the name come from?

The statue is named after a nearby hot spring called Tianrui, whose 60 °C water is known locally for its healing powers. The Foquan Temple, built in the Tang dynasty, also holds the Bell of Good Luck, a bronze bell weighing 116 tonnes, placed on the Dragon Head peak.

A huge project

The whole project was estimated to cost about 55 million US dollars, with 18 million of that for the statue itself. The statue was planned to be cast from about 1,100 pieces of copper weighing around 1,000 tonnes in total. In October 2008 the hill below it was reshaped into two more pedestals, the upper one 15 metres tall.

Tallest, then second tallest

For years the Spring Temple Buddha was the tallest statue in the world. In 2018 it was passed by the Statue of Unity in Gujarat, India, at 182 metres. A small swastika, an ancient Indian symbol of good fortune, is inscribed in the statue's chest.

Fun facts

It was the tallest statue in the world until the Statue of Unity opened in 2018.
Its lotus throne alone is 20 metres tall.
The 60 °C hot spring that gives it its name is famous locally for its healing powers.
A bronze bell weighing 116 tonnes hangs at the same temple.