🪷 Leshan Giant Buddha. Construction of the famous Leshan Giant Buddha, an enormous statue of a Maitreya (a future Buddha) was started in 713 CE under Xuanzong's reign.
A Buddhist monk named Hai Tong began the project to ward off evil spirits from the river at the bottom of the cliffs. This statue of the Maitreya, carved into the cliff, is 233 feet (71 meters) tall and remains a popular tourist attraction today.
📷 Photo by speedygroundhog.
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Basilica di San Vitale
Late antique church in Ravenna, Italy. The 6th century church is an important surviving example of early Christian Byzantine art and architecture.