Passing by the Huayan Hermitage, shaded by green bamboos and adorned with yellow walls and black tiles, one can see a small mountain across from Panhu Rock in the distance. The mountain resembles a Buddha, and the Buddha resembles a mountain. The mountain’s form is like the body of a Buddha, sitting cross-legged with an exposed chest and abdomen, the right hand resting on the knee, and the left hand on the bag.
The natural shape is lifelike and exquisite. This is the Foshan Sacred Site within the scenic area. The designer skillfully added some artificial touches, combined with a 10-meter-high head statue, presenting an open-air Maitreya that stands 30 meters tall, with the sky above its head, always smiling and endearing. A stone tablet is inscribed with a couplet: ‘A broad belly can tolerate what is intolerable in the world; a smiling face always laughs at the laughable people in the world. ‘ Next to the open-air Maitreya, there are also six small stone carvings of Maitreya, which are both naturally extraordinary and artificially wonderful. Seeing this open-air Maitreya, people will naturally think of the Monk with a Bag. The Monk with a Bag: There was indeed such a person, a monk named Qi Ci who passed away in the third year of the Zhenming era of the Five Dynasties (917) at Fenghua Yuelin Temple. This monk said a verse before his death, ‘Maitreya is the true Maitreya, but the world does not recognize him.’ Later generations, probably to prove that they were not ‘unrecognized,’ identified his appearance as Maitreya and sculpted his ‘proud belly and smiling face’ to pass down through generations. Open all year round, accessible 24/7.Foshan Sacred Site (Open-air Maitreya)
Passing by the Huayan Hermitage, shaded by green bamboos and adorned with yellow walls and black til[...]
