The nine-story building is the tallest building in the Mogao Grottoes, commonly known as the "Great Buddha Hall", and is also the 96th cave of the Mogao Grottoes. The nine-story building is 45 meters high and built on a cliff. It is located in the middle of the Shangsi Grottoes in the Mogao Grottoes. Inside is the world's largest indoor statue of Maitreya Bodhisattva sitting cross-legged. The construction of this big Buddha was recorded in the Tang Dynasty, so the statue of Maitreya Bodhisattva is very rich and round, typical of the Tang Dynasty. It is said that when Wu Zetian was in power, in order to consolidate his throne, he publicized to the people that he was the incarnation of Maitreya Bodhisattva, so we can still find many female characteristics in the statues at that time, which was influenced by the background of the times. The nine-story building has undergone several reconstructions before and after. There were only two floors from the beginning, and it was later renovated to nine floors. The majestic building with red cornices seen now was re-reinforced and repaired by the Dunhuang Research Institute in 1986.
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