The Ancient Tradition Adorning Southeast Asia's Buddha Statues
Release time:
2025-06-16
Source:
Dongguan Jinsheng Gold Leaf
In the heart of Myanmar’s Mahamuni Pagoda, a towering Buddha statue glimmers under temple lights, its surface thickened by centuries of devotion. Each day, thousands of devotees press golden leaves onto the sacred figure, accumulating a 15-centimeter-thick layer of gold foil—a practice that recently yielded 24.87 kg of pure gold (worth ~$1.5 million) from just the debris around its base. This "golden garbage," collected during a recent two-month cleanup, marks a record haul and funds temple maintenance, embodying a profound blend of faith and tradition.
The ritual transcends Myanmar. In Thailand’s Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (Double Dragon Temple), the central stupa glows with 240 kg of gold applied over generations. Similarly, Thai Buddhists honor revered monks like Luang Phor Yod, whose 35-year-preserved body is annually re-gilded in a ceremony of spiritual continuity.
Behind this sacred artistry lies China’s 1,700-year-old Nanjing gold-beating craft—a UNESCO-recognized intangible heritage. Artisans hammer gold into gossamer-thin sheets (0.1 microns thick), once used to adorn Beijing’s Forbidden City and now applied across Asian temples. As one master explains: "One tael of gold can cover 1.3 acres when beaten into foil.
For believers, each delicate foil pressed onto Buddha is both an offering for merit and a bridge to the divine—transforming precious metal into enduring reverence. As gold reclaims its gleam from temple floors to towering icons, it whispers of humanity’s timeless pursuit of the sacred.
