With a height of about 233 feet (71 meters), this Buddha statue is the largest cliffside image in China. It took around 90 years (from 713 to 803) to carve this giant Buddha. It is said that a pavilion was built around the Buddha during the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD) to protect it from rain or sun. The pavilion was rebuilt and renamed as Tian Ning Pavilion during the Song Dynasty (960 – 1279 AD). Unfortunately, it was ruined later.