Wishing Buddha

Uncle Fatso seems to be making the best of his prolonged business trip to China. I think he's been there for more than four months. Hope he got his wish!

By Uncle Fatso

On the 15th day of Chinese New Year - Yuan Xiao Festival -- I went to Ling Shan (Mountain) Buddha, Ma Shan Island, Taihu Lake, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province.

With Wuxi being the pearl of the Taihu Lake, the Ling Shan Fo (Ling Mountain Buddha) is perceived as the brilliance of the pearl. The Ling Shan Fo, being the pride of Wuxi and Chinese Buddhism as a whole, is the tallest standing Buddha in the world at 88m high.

This giant bronze-plated Buddha is situated on Ma Shan Island, the second-largest island in the Taihu Lake. It is believed to stand watching over the Taihu Lake in its front view, surrounded by mountains on its right and left, and the small Ling Mountain (of which the Buddha is named after) at its back.

The brilliance of the Wuxi pearl, the gigantic Ling Shan Mountain Buddha stands at the end of the long pathway, with an additional 218 flights of steps up to the base of the statue!

Even from the foot of the seemingly long and high steps up the mountain, the Buddha statue looks simply magnificent and breathtaking. The Buddha statue has a serene look, with both palms held wide open, displaying the word "wish" – for a happy and peaceful life to all living things.