As the saying goes, 'When it comes to cultural relics on the ground, look at Shanxi.' As the main birthplace of the Chinese nation, Shanxi contains countless breathtaking treasures of cultural relics. In Jishan County, Yuncheng City, there is a cultural relic that is "earth to the extreme" - Jishan Giant Buddha. Why is it said that the Great Buddha of Jishan is extremely 'earth'? The answer lies in its ordinary yet highly challenging materials and craftsmanship. Unlike the hard and cold stone carved Buddhas in the Yungang Grottoes and Longmen Grottoes, the Jishan Buddha is made of loess and carved along the cliff, showcasing a different temperature and texture of life. The difficulty of shaping and preserving it far exceeds that of ordinary stone carvings. What is even more astonishing is that this earth carved Buddha not only carries the wisdom and sweat of ancient craftsmen, but also witnesses the vicissitudes and changes of time. According to the old "Jishan County Annals" and the stone carvings preserved in the temple, Jishan County has experienced 18 earthquakes since the Yuan Dynasty. However, this earth carved Buddha statue stands firm like a resilient guardian, enduring nearly a thousand years and still maintaining its charm, which is extremely rare in the country and even the world. Therefore, Jishan Giant Buddha is known as the "number one earth carved Buddha in the world". Recently, the reporter visited the Jishan Dafo Temple in person and personally experienced the profound historical heritage and unique cultural charm contained in this earth carved Buddha statue. Originating from Qingliang, the ancient temple Youyou Jishan Dafo Temple, formerly known as Qingliang Yuan or Foge Temple, has a history dating back to the second year of the Jin Huangtong era (1142) and has a history of nearly a thousand years. The temple faces north and south, built along the cliff. Although the layout is irregular, it has its own unique charm of being scattered and orderly. After reconstruction in 2004, it covers an area of 15000 square meters. Entering the Great Buddha Temple, the first thing that catches the eye is the magnificent mountain gate. The vermilion gate is adorned with golden door studs, exuding a quaint and solemn atmosphere. The majestic bronze lions on both sides seem to be telling the story of a thousand years of vicissitudes. After entering the mountain gate, there are stairs that go up all the way, which are quite imposing. You can see the Heavenly King Hall in the center, as well as the bell towers and drum towers on both sides from a distance. Starting from here, there are a total of 108 stone steps, and each step represents the abandonment of one kind of worry. That is to say, climbing these 108 stone steps symbolizes the elimination of 108 kinds of worries and distractions in life Scenic area guide Cui Jinqian explained. As you follow the guide's footsteps, you can see the trees on both sides of the steps reflecting greenery, and the buildings standing high above them, which is different from ordinary temple buildings on flat ground. The staggered buildings and trees planted along the slope form the unique style of this sloping temple. The Eastern King holding the pipa, the Southern King holding the sword, the Western King with a wide eye wrapped around a dragon, and the Northern King holding an umbrella. The magical instruments held by the four Heavenly Kings represent 'wind, melody, rain, and smoothness' respectively Following in the footsteps of Cui Jinqian, we arrived at the Hall of Heavenly Kings. The reporter saw four tall and powerful Heavenly Kings standing on either side of the hall. The giant Buddha of the Jin Dynasty and the earth sculpture spectacle pass through the Temple of Heavenly Kings, and then come to the core of the Great Buddha Temple - the Shakya ManiHall. "The the Shakya ManiHall is a two story, three eaves, double eaves pavilion style yuan like building, seven rooms wide, five rafters deep, 26 meters high and 30.95 meters wide." Cui Jinqian told reporters, "This hall is also the largest single yuan like building in Shanxi Province at present." When entering the the Shakya ManiHall, a solemn and solemn atmosphere immediately enveloped the whole body, the light inside the hall was soft, and the air was filled with a faint smell of sandalwood. In the center of the hall, a towering earth carved Buddha statue came into view, which was the Great Buddha of Jishan. Looking up as high as possible, the towering and majestic Buddha statue was breathtaking. This Maitreya Buddha statue is carved along a cliff, 20 meters high and 6.8 meters wide. The head of the Buddha is made of clay sculpture, and the body is made of earth sculpture. The two are perfectly combined, creating a natural blend Cui Jinqian explained that the Buddha was originally dressed in colorful paintings, but with the passage of time, most of the floating paint has now peeled off, becoming what it is today. The Buddha has a full body, precise proportions, and lifelike images, with every detail revealing the exquisite craftsmanship and deep emotions of the craftsmen. Upon closer inspection, the folds on the fluttering ribbons of the Buddha statue's dress have been carefully crafted by the craftsmen to create a balance of density and width; The Buddha's headdress is densely adorned with temples, his nose bridge is high and straight, his eyes are dignified and full of vitality; Two huge ears hung over the broad shoulders, with the corners of the mouth slightly curled up, revealing a kind and peaceful joy; His left hand hangs down and rests on his left knee, while his right hand is raised in the shape of a Buddha's hand with a "Dharma Seal". His legs hang down, and he steps on two lotus feet. His entire form is extraordinary and majestic, making people feel a huge visual impact as soon as they enter the hall. Under the guidance of Cui Jinqian, the reporter also visited other buildings and attractions inside the temple. The side halls on both sides of the the Shakya ManiHall are the Dizang King Bodhisattva Hall and the Guanyin Bodhisattva Hall. In the Dizang King Bodhisattva Hall, there are still 13 Dizang King statues and 16 Arhat of the Yuan Dynasty, which are rare clay sculptures, while the statues in the Guanyin Bodhisattva Hall are solemn, solemn and full of verve. In addition, there is a stele gallery inside the temple, displaying inscriptions related to the reconstruction of the Great Buddha Temple and historical inscriptions unearthed from Jishan County. These inscriptions not only record the historical changes of the temple, but also leave valuable historical and cultural heritage for future generations. Cultural treasure, inherited forever. In May 2013, Jishan Giant Buddha was announced by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units. This honor is not only a recognition of the historical value of the Buddha, but also an expectation for its future protection and inheritance. In recent years, with the continuous increase of national efforts to protect cultural heritage, the government of Jishan County and various sectors of society have also taken active actions to revitalize this golden earth carved Buddha through scientific planning, reasonable repairs, and strengthened publicity measures. In terms of protection, the Jishan County Government has invested a large amount of funds and invited a professional cultural relic protection team to conduct detailed surveys and restoration work on the Jishan Giant Buddha. Not only has the structural stability of the Buddha body been strengthened, but the surrounding environment has also been renovated and optimized to ensure the safety and cleanliness of the environment where the Buddha is located. At the same time, the daily monitoring and maintenance mechanism has been strengthened, and through modern technological means, the condition of the Buddha has been monitored in real time, and possible problems have been detected and dealt with in a timely manner. On the basis of protection, Jishan County has accelerated the pace of deep integration of culture and tourism. In 2014, Jishan County and Lingguang Temple in Beijing jointly signed the "Agreement on Co building the Giant Buddha Cultural Park". This forward-looking cooperation not only injected new vitality into Jishan Giant Buddha, but also marked the official opening of a new chapter in the integrated development of culture and tourism in Jishan County. Nowadays, the Giant Buddha Cultural Park has become a new urban landmark in Jishan County. Whenever night falls, many citizens and tourists come here to play and enjoy the beautiful night view. The large Buddhist temple next to it, as one of the iconic attractions in Jishan County, shines brightly in the tide of cultural and tourism integration, radiating unprecedented brilliance. Through a series of renovations and upgrades, the Great Buddha Temple not only retains its unique cultural charm, but also significantly improves its tourism reception capacity and service quality. Every tourist who comes here can deeply feel the historical sedimentation and artistic charm emanating from the "world's first earth carved Buddha". After thousands of years of vicissitudes, this "earth" giant Buddha has become even more solemn, accompanying the cultural wave of the new era and moving towards new heights. (New Society)