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Published: March 11th 2011
So, we USACers went on our (supposedly) last fieldtrip of the semester: to Dafo and Emei city.
Dafo (or "Big Buddha") is carved into red sandstone that was built during the Tang Dynasty, when Buddhism was at its height in China (or around 700 A.D.). Haitong, the sculptor of Dafo (who also happened to be a monk), decided to safeguard passing boats by creating this protective image in the cliffs, giving way to one of the biggest projects ever completed in ancient China. Fortunately, it has recently been claimed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (
thank you UN).
Haitong was extremely passionate about the project. Legend has it that:
"The monk lived behind Dafo's head at all times during its construction. When a local official threatned to blind Haitong unless he could take a cut of the funds, the monk gouged his own eyes out to prove his sincerity."
The Buddha's statistics are pretty impressive. Each ear droops 23 feet, his shoulders span 92 feet, and the nose itself measures 18 ft. All in all, he's about 233 feet high. Considering that this Buddha was
carved into the cliffs during the eight century...that's a
pretty impressive size.
Dafo, Leshan.
The girls! Miki-san, me, Kenzie, Anna and Maddie.We then took a bus to Emei city. Here is where the infamous Mt. Emei rests; this was the mountain range that inspired millions of Chinese to find words for their poetry, images for their paintings, thoughts for their teachings. It was even here where thousands flocked to devote their lives to martial arts. This mountain range is actually one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains of China. So, as you can imagine, it is quite revered here.
The mountain's scenery was absolutely stunning. And the path made it even more exciting, with the unstable bridges and slippery stones. I felt like Indiana Jones, haha.
Oh yeah, on top of a monkey pouncing on my shoulders and stealing my last Dramamine capsule, another one actually grabbed my arm and
bit me. I was wearing two jackets at the time, but the bite still punctured my skin! I thought I was going to be fine, since I got my pre-exposure rabies vaccinations, but...
Unfortunately, I've been really sick the last few days because *I think* I was suppose to get post-exposure rabies vaccinations...and didn't. Oops.
Well USAC advisors, thanks for telling me that I'll be okay
Mt. Emei.
In front of a lovely unique looking temple; it almost looks like part of the architecture has Middle Eastern influence? with just the pre-exposure vaccinations. Thanks a lot. Because obviously I'm not. In fact, I've been on my deathbed the past two days. And now I need to go to the hospital tomorrow.
Lesson learned: follow your own instincts. Oh, and the more expensive study abroad program providers might be worth looking into first...
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Nancy Dillon
non-member comment
Monkey bite
Dear Lindsay, I'm worried about your bite and your being sick. I hope you will get it looked at and let us know how you are. Love your pictures and videos. Grandma Nancy