学文网在山东省博兴县城东南湖滨镇丈八佛村内，有一尊中国最大的单体石造佛像。其佛像通高7.1米，像高5.6米，体量比人们常说的一丈八尺还高出0.2米，故名“丈八佛”。“丈八佛”自头顶至肩部1.65米，耳长0.5米，手长0.79米，方面大耳高髻，身穿通肩袈裟，手施无畏与愿印，赤足立于一高大的莲花座上。莲花座为覆莲座，高1.55米，底面积7.3平方米，上口呈椭圆形，重约19吨。
“丈八佛”脚下的莲花座是由一块巨大的石头雕刻而成。从现在身体的裂缝可以清晰地看出，“丈八佛”的身躯由三块巨石组成。在身体的中间部位有一连接裂缝，正身为一块，上身为一块，头部为一块。
从雕刻技法方面看，“丈八佛”身体各部位比例准确而协调，刀法遒劲有力，线条流畅，观者无不惊讶古人的精湛技艺。从右前方看佛像，只见线条粗犷苍劲，通身透露出一股惊心动魄的气势。从正面看，佛像的面部表情庄重而慈祥，沉静而和蔼可亲。佛像整体结构匀称，雕造精美，造形生动，完全体现出了东魏（公元534年）时期能工巧匠的雕造风格，无处不显现出劳动人民的聪明与才智，是中国平原地区目前所发现的早期最大的单体圆雕石造像，实为一件珍贵的艺术瑰宝。
从“丈八佛”处遗留的“重修兴国寺”石碑和出土文物看，该寺庙的建立应该在北魏时期，原寺名无考，东魏天平元年寺名为“兴国寺”。从史料和《博兴县志》以及遗留的三通重修碑刻看出，兴国寺自建立以后，至隋、唐到明、清都屡屡重修。现存的三通石碑，记载了明代成化元年重修一次，明代万历十二年重修一次，最后一次是清道光六年重修。碑文中有“兴国寺之由来久矣，初闻霞光出于井，转瞬间伟然一佛”。短短几句话，把本来就扑朔迷离的“丈八佛”一下子描绘得让人如坠五里云雾。但有一点可以澄清兴国寺的建造时间，“考诸邑乘，乃北齐天平元年张建领所立”。从丈八佛石造像的雕造风格和艺术表现形式看，完全符合东魏时期的风格和表现形式，因此可以说，“丈八佛”雕刻年代应该是东魏天平元年。
对“丈八佛”有一则传说。在很早以前，鲁北平原瘟***四起，灾害连连，人们在朝不保夕中艰难度日。这一年又闹瘟***，人们十有八九被瘟***夺去了生命。村里一户人家，家中只剩下婆婆和儿媳两个人。婆婆也染上了瘟***，身怀六甲的儿媳急得跪在地上祈求上苍。一天晚上，儿媳做了一个梦，梦中一白髯飘胸、鹤发童颜的老者告诉她，要想治好她婆婆的病，可在当天夜里的三更天后，到村北的水井台上去祈求，有三位佛爷从这里经过，老大“丈八佛”，老二“丈七佛”，老三“丈六佛”。如果能拉下三位佛爷中的任何一位，她婆婆的病就有救了。老者说完，飘然而去，儿媳也猛然从梦中醒来。回忆梦中的情景，儿媳急忙起床穿衣，此时正巧天交三更。只见外边北风呼啸，大雪纷飞，天地间白茫茫一片。儿媳顶着寒风，冒着大雪，跌跌撞撞地来到村北的水井台上。她双膝跪地，涕泪交流，祈求上苍拯救一方生灵。突然，只见茫茫白雪中金光四射，天地间霞光万道。儿媳正在惊诧之时，只见三位大佛飘然而至。儿媳想起梦中老者所言，不顾一切地扑向第一位大佛，抱住大佛的双足不松手。风停了雪住了，儿媳慢慢地抬起了头，只见她抱住双足的大佛站在了从水井中飘出的一朵莲花上。“丈八佛”一只手托天，一只手撑地，另两位大佛不见了。
天亮以后，人们纷纷前来跪拜，并从大佛踏着莲花的水井中取水喝，井中的水医好了人们的瘟***。从此后这里风调雨顺，人们安居乐业，世代平安了。
这是神话传说。“丈八佛”不但留给人们一连串的美妙传说，也实实在在地留给人们一个个难解之谜。在周围百里之内，没有雕刻“丈八佛”的石料。那么“丈八佛”是从何而来呢？它又是怎么来的呢？在1400多年前的时候，人们完全依靠手工，是如何把约19吨重的巨大莲花座安放在夯土层上的？然后又用什么办法将如此巨大的佛像立到莲花座上的呢？这里距黄河仅有30多公里的距离，历史上连年不断的洪水浸泡，无数次的地震摇动，但“丈八佛”不倒、不斜、不陷，仍岿然屹立，这不能不算是奇迹。
1400多年的风霜雨露，“丈八佛”雄姿依旧。为了保护这件历尽沧桑的艺术瑰宝，1992年，山东省人民***府将“丈八佛”公布为省级重点文物保护单位。1998年，经博兴县文化局和山东省文物局以及国家文物局的牵线搭桥，深圳金盾集团总经理欧通国先生投资410万元，对“丈八佛”实施了保护工程，终于有了大殿的遮护。
“丈八佛”是神奇的，“丈八佛”的故事是美妙的，“丈八佛”的雕刻艺术是精美绝纶的，“丈八佛”的艺术价值、考古价值是无法估量的。它是人类所共有的，是祖先留给我们的一件无价之宝。
In the village of Zhangba of Hubin Town, south of the capital city of Bo Xing County, Shandong Province, there is the largest single stone statute of Buddha in China. The statue of Buddha with its pedestal stands 7.1 meters high, while the statue alone is 5.6 meters high. The Buddha head, from the top to the shoulders, is 1.65 meters. The ear is half a meter. The hand is 0.79 meter.
This statue has a square face, big ears, high-coiled hair, a long cassock and bare feet. It stands on a lotus pedestal which is 1.55 meters tall, has a bottom area of 7.3 square meters, and a weight 19 tons. The upper surface of the stand presents an elliptical shape.
The lotus stand under the feet of the Buddha is sculpted from a single giant stone, while the body is constituted of three giant stones: one for the lower body, one for the upper body, and one for the head. At the middle of the statue, there is a connection cleavage.
From the viewpoint of sculpture techniques, the proportion of each part of the Buddha body is correct and harmonious. The skill in using the chisel is vigorous, making the lines of the statue bold presenting an astounding momentum. Looking at the statute of Buddha from the front, the facial expression looks solemn, kindly, calm, and amiable. The total structure of the statute is well proportioned. The elegant sculpting and vivid shaping embody the sculpting style of the Eastern Wei Dynasty (534-550). Up to now, this Statue of Buddha is the earliest single stone statue of Buddha found in the plain regions in China, making it a rare art treasure.
Judging from the stone tablet and unearthed relics at the temple where the Statue of Buddha is located, the temple was probably constructed during the Northern Wei period (386-534). There is no record concerning the original name of the temple. In 534, during the Eastern Wei period, the temple was named as the Xingguo Temple. Since then, the temple had been renovated many times. Three extant stone tablets record that the temple was renovated twice during the Ming Dynasty and once during the Qing Dynasty. The renovation during the Qing Dynasty was the final renovation.
Nearyby the place where the Zhangba Statue of Buddha, there is no raw material of stone. So, people are confused even nowadays where the giant stone for the statue was from. Moreover, more than 1400 years ago, without any automatic mechanical tools, how did people then carry the large stone here? Counting on manual labor only, how did people lift the statue with weight of more than 19 tons up to the high stand? All these leave a puzzle that deeply confuse the present-day people, leaving a miracle for the local place.
After weathering more than 1400 years of natural calamities, the Zhangba Statue of Buddha is still very magnificent. In order to well protect it, the provincial government of Shandong listed it as a cultural relic under provincial major protection in 1992. Then, in 1998, thanks to the go-between work done by the Cultural Bureau of Bo Xing County, the Cultural Relics Bureau of Shandong Province, and the State Cultural Relics Bureau, Mr. Ou Tongguo, general manager of Shenzhen-based Jindun Group invested more than 4 million yuan to construct a protecting hall to prevent the statute of Buddha from suffering further from the ravages of nature.
The Zhangba Statue of Buddha is marvelous. The stories concerning it are wonderful. The sculpting skill of it is second to none. Its value to the study of Buddhist art and archaeology is beyond evaluation. As a priceless treasure left over by the ancient Chinese people, it is a common fortune of all of the human beings.