Nanshan — the Guanyin in the sea

Taller than the Statue of Liberty

If you fly to Sanya you often see it from the plane: a white figure rising from the sea on the island's south-west coast. The Guanyin of Nanshan is 108 metres tall, a good fifteen metres taller than the Statue of Liberty in New York, and according to the site it is the tallest Guanyin statue in the world.

It stands not on land but on a specially reclaimed island off the coast, linked to the shore by a 280-metre bridge. Together with the big square in front and the gardens around it, it forms its own area of almost thirty hectares within the sprawling temple complex.

A project of state and faith

The project was approved in 1993 by the state religious affairs authority and the provincial government, together with a new temple at the foot of the mountain. Construction of the statue began in 1999 and took six years. It was consecrated in a big ceremony in April 2005. According to official figures the cost was around 800 million yuan.

The name inscription was written by Zhao Puchu, the long-time president of the Buddhist Association of China. This shows how closely religion, state and tourism are intertwined here: the complex is at once a pilgrimage site, a top-category national tourist attraction and a showpiece of the island.

Three faces, three virtues

Guanyin is the most popular figure of Buddhism in China: the bodhisattva of compassion, to whom people pray when they need help. At Nanshan she has three faces looking in three directions. One holds a scroll for wisdom, the second a string of prayer beads for compassion, the third a lotus flower for purity.

She stands on a lotus with 108 petals. The number 108 is significant in Buddhism: it stands for the worldly passions one should free oneself from — which is why a Buddhist string of prayer beads usually has 108 beads too. It's no coincidence that the statue is 108 metres tall.

Beneath the statue

Beneath the lotus base lies a large hall of around 15,000 square metres, with further figures and staff explaining the meaning of the statue. Incense sticks are often handed out free at the entrance.

Stairs lead up to the feet of the Guanyin. Many visitors touch the figure's toes there. There's a reason for this: Chinese has the expression “clasping Buddha's feet” — for someone who asks for help only at the last minute. Here you can do it literally.

A temple from the 1990s

The whole complex is new. Nanshan Temple was built in the 1990s in Tang-dynasty style, with large halls, red columns and curved roofs. It isn't a historic site but religious tourism on a large scale, with electric buses, souvenir shops and vegetarian restaurants.

At the same time genuine believers pray here, light incense and bow before the statue. Many families come specially from all over the country. Both are true, and you see both side by side here.

The mountain of long life

The name Nanshan, “South Mountain”, is linked in China to one of the most common birthday wishes. For older people's birthdays you wish that their life may last as long as the South Mountain. That's why the site also has a “Valley of Longevity”, and many visitors come with their parents or grandparents.

The complex also advertises that it lies at China's southernmost mountain. The sea off the coast is particularly clear here, and the forest on the slopes is almost untouched.

Another world record

In the Hall of the 33 Forms of Guanyin there are groups of figures that, according to the signs, hold world records. If you've read the page about Yudai sandbar in Bo'ao, you can guess: according to the Chinese wording these entries come from the same Shanghai record agency whose name is confusingly similar to Guinness.

It's a small detail, but one that keeps cropping up on this trip — superlatives are very popular in Chinese tourism marketing, and it's worth checking them.

Incense sticks and other traps

Many large temple complexes in China have a well-known pattern: friendly people offer a special blessing, a horoscope or particularly “effective” incense sticks — and at the end there's a large bill. At Nanshan, incense sticks are handed out free at the entrance to the statue and at the temple, usually three per person.

The rule is simple: the free sticks are quite enough. If you want to donate more, put money into one of the official offering boxes. Politely decline offers from individuals, even if they're dressed as monks.

How to approach the day

The ticket costs around 129 yuan in high season, a little less online, and is valid with your passport. The site is large: for the whole circuit the electric bus is worthwhile, stopping in turn at the statue, the temple and the Valley of Longevity. Allow three to five hours.

The statue is most beautiful in the late afternoon, when it stands as a silhouette against the low sun. Allow time for the way back: at the exit taxis and Didi are hard to get at closing time; buses run to the city with fares by distance.