World's largest Mani stone mound in Qinghai's Yushu

World's largest Mani stone mound in Qinghai's Yushu

Mani stones are seen on the Jiana Mani Stone Mound in Xinzhai Village, Yushu County, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu, northwest China's Qinghai Province, on March 24, 2009. Mani Stone mounds, or holy stone mounds, are made up of holy stones (stones carved with the Lamaist six-syllable mantra prayer or other propitious symbols) accumulated by Lamaism believers as a way to show their belief. The Jiana Mani Stone Mound is piled by over 2 billion Mani stones in more than 200 years and formed a "stone scripture castle" with a length of 300 meters, a width of 80 meters, a height of 4 meters and a covering area of over 20,000 square meters. The Jiana Mani Stone Mound is believed to be the largest mani mound in the world, and pious believers and people of Tibetan ethnic group remain piling up Mani stones on it and make it "growing up" with a speed of about 300,000 stones per year. (Xinhua/Yang Shoude)


A woman of Tibetan ethnic group passes by the Mani Stone Mound in Xinzhai Village, Yushu County, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu, northwest China's Qinghai Province, on March 24, 2009.


A senior takes ritual walks around the Jiana Mani Stone Mound in Xinzhai Village, Yushu County, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu, northwest China's Qinghai Province, on March 24, 2009.


People of Tibetan ethnic group pile Mani stones onto the Jiana Mani Stone Mound in Xinzhai Village, Yushu County, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu, northwest China's Qinghai Province, on March 24, 2009.


People of Tibetan ethnic group take ritual walks around the Mani Stone Mound in Xinzhai Village, Yushu County, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu, northwest China's Qinghai Province, on March 29, 2009.