Ａｓｉａ’ｓ Ｌａｒｇｅｓｔ Ｒｅｃｌｉｎｉｎｇ Ｂｕｄｄｈａ ｉｎ ａ Ｇｒｏｔｔｏ

Twenty-seventh October 2007 witnessed the unveiling of Asia’s largest reclining Buddha statue in a grotto in Xinchang， Zhejiang Province. This new Buddha statue adds glory and glamour to Xinchang， a quiet tourism attraction in central Zhejiang. The scenic rural county has long since been a great allure for tourists who come all the way to visit the big sitting Buddha. Now the allure has been doubled. The brand-new Temple of the Reclining Buddha， built with 30 million yuan， sits in Shuanglin Scenic Zone near the 16-century-old Temple of Grand Buddha， which， started in 345 AD and completed 30 years later， played a central part in the earliest years of Buddhism in China.

Exactly like the 1600-year-old Grand Buddha in a nearby rock cave， the latest reclining Buddha statue is also built in a grotto. The Buddha in the reclining posture is larger than its counterparts across Asia. In designing this declining Buddha statue， designers took into account the Buddha statues in other famous grottos across China. Every detail of the reclining Buddha was examined and approved by domestic and international experts and Buddhist abbots. Experts describe the statue in these words: the Buddha’s face looks like the full moon， his eyelids drooping a little， his facial expression serene， the right arm below the head as a pillow and the left arm extending naturally along the torso; he is in a world without happiness and sadness， without life and death.

If the sitting Buddha in the 16-century-old temple indicates the serenity and solemnity of Buddha， then the reclining statue portrays the nirvana of Sakyamuni. According to Buddhist scriptures， Buddha accomplished nirvana on February 15， 486 B.C. After giving last instructions to his disciples， he passed away quietly at midnight. In the wake of his nirvana， the trees on the east and west of his bed grew together into one tree and the trees on the south and the north merged into one. The trees got entangled thickly and white flowers bloomed into a canopy over the bed. All the other trees in the woods turned white looking like white cranes， all the leaves and fruits gone. The earth shook， winds howled， dust flew. When monks and secular people learned of the death， some wept， some fainted， some died， some became insane， some shouted and beat their chests， some yanked their hair， some smiled for they understood that nirvana was the supreme phase of life and entering nothingness was the perfect farewell. The grotto presents murals that depict the diverse responses of the disciples and secular people in the wake of Buddha’s nirvana.

In addition to the central piece that is the reclining Buddha， the scenic zone also presents two seven-meter-tall guardians on the cliffs flanking a square in front of the hall that houses the 37-meter-long and 9-meter-tall reclining Buddha. The grotto itself measures 23 meters in depth and 48 meters in width. All the beams， doors， pillars on the gallery below the eaves of the grotto are carved out of stone but look like wooden. Around the Buddha are a set of stone sculptures in relief， depicting classic Buddhist stories. Around the statue are also religious symbols and figures in round carving and relief. Lotus flowers symbolize sanctity of Buddhism while flying celestial nymphs indicate the grandeur and peace of the Pure Land.

With the new temple open to pilgrims and tourists， Xinchang now boasts a large scenic zone where tourists can enjoy natural wonders and visit unique Buddhist temples.