This giant Buddha is a 71-metre tall stone statue, carved out of a cliff face with a rivers flowing below his feet. It is the largest stone Buddha in the world and by far the tallest pre-modern statue in the world. The area where the statue is located has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.
History
Construction started in 713, led by a monk who hoped that the Buddha would calm the turbulent waters that plagued the shipping vessels traveling down the river. When funding for the project was threatened, he is said to have gouged out his own eyes to show his piety and sincerity. After his death, however, the construction was stuck due to insufficient funding. The construction was then completed in 803.
Apparently the massive construction resulted in so much stone being removed from the cliff face and deposited into the river below that the currents were indeed altered by the statue, making the water safe for passing ships.
A sophisticated drainage system was incorporated into the giant Buddha when it was built. It is still in working order. It includes drainage pipes carved into various places on the body, to carry away the water after the rains so as to reduce weathering.
Degradation
When the giant Buddha was carved, a huge thirteen storey stone structure was built to shelter it from rain and sunshine. This structure was destroyed and sacked by the Mongols during the wars. From then on, the stone statue was exposed to the elements. The giant Buddha and many other natural and cultural heritage sites in the region have seen degradations from weathering, air pollution, and swarms of tourists.
Image source: Commons Wikimedia