City of a giant statue and giant pandas
Colossal: Visitors look up at the Lahan giant Buddha
Sichuan province in southwest China is famed for its spicy food and giant pandas. A city with a long history and rich culture, today it has progressed remarkably into modernity in many fields, in terms of development, infrastructure, telecommunication, science, and technology.
A media delegation from Sri Lanka had the opportunity to visit Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in November 2015.
The Chengdu Planning Exhibition Hall is a great inspiration. The entire city and suburbs are laid out in a scale model, to be viewed from a gallery above. The display features buildings, roads, parks, trees and waterways made to scale.
The whole or parts of it can be lit up. Four new city suburbs built at the four corners, with its connecting roads, can be seen in detail from the gallery as an official explains the layout.
The Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone was another interesting site on the agenda. Established in 1988, it covers an area of 82.5 sq. km.
It is made up of separate parks and hosts a large number of companies including IBM, Symantec, Microsoft, Alcatel, Ericsson, Nokia and Motorola. The staff is accommodated in quarters with all facilities, making it a self-sufficient complex. According to a staff member, between one-third and half of the ipads in the world are assembled in Chengdu.
Not far from Chengdu city is the city of Leshan famous for the remarkable Giant Buddha stone carving. This gigantic statue, carved into the rock on the side of Mt. Lingyun is said to be over 1,300 years old.
It is considered to be the largest stone Buddha in the world. Millions of visitors, including Buddhist pilgrims are attracted to this site. The Leshan Giant Buddha statue is situated at the junction of three rivers, the Min, Qingyi and Dadu.
It faces Mount Emei with the rivers flowing below its feet. The statue shows the Buddha seated calmly with his hands resting on his knees, eyes gazing across the river.
The statue is remarkable not only in size but also in its architecture and craftsmanship. It is made entirely of stone, except the ears which were made of wood, fixed to the head of the statue and covered with clay.
The hair is skilfully arranged in spiral curls embedded in the head. The enormous statue measures 71 metres in height. Its head is 15 metres high and its shoulders 28 metres wide. Each eyebrow is 5.5 metres while its nose is 6 metres long.It is said that 100 people could fit on each foot.
To see the statue in its entirety requires an arduous descent down a flight of steep, rough steps along the side of the mountain to the edge of the water.
Fast asleep in their cot: The baby pandas at the research base
Then it is a climb up to the top, which is less strenuous. The head, which is as tall as the mountain peak, can be viewed from two levels.
According to legends the Leshan Giant Buddha statue was built to calm the turbulent waters of the rivers that were a threat to passengers of boats passing through.
Chen Yingli, Section Chief of Sister Cities and Friendship Association Affairs of Leshan, who guided us around Leshan told us that the statue was constructed by a monk, Hai Tong, in the Tang Dynasty, with the idea of appeasing the gods and saving the lives of local people.
He requested 20 years to collect funds to start on the carving of the statue. When the government funding for the work was threatened the story goes that Hai Tong gouged out his eyes to show his dedication to the project.
Having collected the money he started the project in 713AD. Halfway through the work the monk Hai Tong passed away and two disciples were left to carry on the work. Finally the project was completed 90 years later, in 803 AD.
It is also said that so much stone was carved out of the hillside and cast into the river below during the construction, that the currents of the rivers were altered making the waters safe for ships passing by.
Hai Tong had lived and died in a little cave in the hillside at the top of the mountain.This cave can still be seen on the higher level of the site.
Also, on a lower level is a chamber with large colourful statues of Hai Tong, his helpers, the Emperor and other dignitaries of the era. The Mt. Emei-Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area was listed as a World Natural and Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1996.
The final visit on our agenda in Chengdu was the Chengdu Research Base of the Giant Panda Breeding. Giant Pandas are considered an important Chinese national treasure.
They live in remote bamboo forests in the high mountains and are found only in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces of China. The natural habitat of the Giant Pandas has been gradually destroyed and so the Chengdu Research Base provides a sanctuary for these animals that are severely endangered.
In the wild there are said to be less than 2000 Giant Pandas, of which over 70% is found within Sichuan province. The Chengdu Research Base is a popular tourist destination of both local and foreign visitors.
Located about 10 kilometres from Chengdu, the Chengdu Base for Research & Breeding has recreated the natural habitat of the Giant Pandas to give these animals the best environment for rearing and breeding.
It is a most interesting place to visit and see the loveable Giant Pandas in their natural surroundings, feeding on bamboo leaves playing together or resting in the shade of the trees.
The panda nursery was a real treat to see. About six cute cuddly panda cubs were curled up in a large cot fast asleep. They looked most endearing. The staff at the nursery cares for the baby pandas lovingly. However, the warden at the base said the adult pandas can be rather fierce.
This ecological conservation base is spread over 100 hectares of land, which includes hills and a picturesque lake. According to an official of the Base who acted as our guide, nearly 400 kinds of trees have been cultivated at the base.
These include many species of bamboo that constitute the giant pandas’ favourite food. In addition to giant pandas, the Panda Base is also home to red pandas, white and black swans, black necked cranes, white storks and other rare endangered animals.
The facilities at the base include a fodder room, sleeping quarters and a medical station, in addition to a museum together with research laboratories and a training centre.
At the Panda Story Cinema, we were shown an interesting and educative film featuring the birth of Giant Panda cubs, panda breeding in captivity and the conservation of pandas.
The Giant Panda Museum was opened in 1993 for the purpose of scientific education as well as to improve public awareness of the protection of the wild animals and their environment.
The Giant Panda Base is maintained by contributions from interested organisations and individuals. There are plans to extend the Base by another 500 acres.
When the population has increased sufficiently the focus will be to help the giant pandas to relocate in their natural habitats in the wild.