Twenty-five kilometers from the city’s downtown area, the Lingshan Sakyamuni Buddha (Lingshan Dafo) stands solemnly at the site of famous Tang Dynasty Xiangfu Temple, which was ruined after a series of ancient wars. The giant statue of Buddha attracts Buddhists from both inside and outside China.
With Lingshan at its backdrop, the statue rises 88 meters to become the highest bronze statue Buddha in the world. The bronze icon is 250 feet long. Entirely made of tin and copper, the statue weighs more than 700 tons. On the left side, the Shiwuwei seal is supposed to reduce suffering in the world while the Yuyuan seal on the right delivers happiness. The character on the Buddha’s chest represents solemnity and virtue. With the nearby Tiahu Lake and a beautiful range of hills, the Lingshan Buddha attracts the faithful, as well as travelers, especially from Hong Kong and Japan, the former of which are said to have contributed some $150,000 towards the construction of the site.
How to get there: Take bus No.88 or 89 from Wuxi Railway Station. If you are traveling from Shanghai, catch the tourist shuttles either at the Hongkou Football Stadium (07:30 on weekends) or at the Shanghai Stadium (08:20 on weekends).
Cost: RMB68
Opening hours: 07:30-17:30
Related Information
