The Great Buddha at Lantau Island
This bronze statue was completed in 1993 at Ngong Ping on Lantau Island, near Po Lin Monastery. The statue’s base is a model of the Altar of Heaven or Earthly Mount of Tian Tan, the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. One of the five large Buddha statues in China, surrounding it are six smaller bronze statues known as “The Offering of the Six Devas” that are posed offering flowers, incense, lamp, ointment, fruit, and music to the Buddha. These symbolise the Six Perfections of generosity, morality, patience, zeal, meditation, and wisdom, all of which are necessary for enlightenment. The statue is 34 meters (112 ft) tall, weighs over 250 metric tons (280 short tons), and was constructed from 202 bronze pieces. As a side note, if you Google “world’s largest Buddha”, you will find several choices. This postcard, however, is Tourists Cards series 093 (5-1/2″ x 7″) and unused. Grade: 1