At 71 metres tall the Leshan Giant Buddha it is an impressive sight. It dwarfs everyone and everything around it.
The Giant Buddha is carved out of a cliff near the city of Leshan nearby a river that runs through it.
They say the Leshan Buddha was made to help placate the dangerous currents that the river produced, which threatened boats passing through.
Leshan Giant Buddha
Leshan Giant Buddha facts:
A monk began the project in 713 A.D. and it was finished around 100 years later, after the monks death.
The river was indeed calmed down, but that was more from the rocks deposited in the river from the construction.
Rather convenient!
The photo below shows the river passing at the bottom of the Buddha with the modern city of Leshan in the background.
It’s a small city for China being only three million residents!
Leshan.
Find places to stay in Leshan here
Almost as impressive was the usual crowds of domestic tourists, but thankfully being a decent sized area it’s easy to get away into the tranquil surroundings of the forest.
In the forest are old Buddhist monasteries scattered around, the best one being Wuyou.
Wuyou Monastery.
If you stay late into the afternoon you may see the monks praying when the tourists have left, and get some real peace and quiet.
Monks pray in the monastery.
Candles lit in the monastery.
Leshan
Another great surprise was staying two nights in Leshan to extend my Chinese visa.
As most tourists just pass through the city to see the Buddha and leave the people are very friendly and welcoming to those that stick around.
And with lots of delicious street food to try, and a nice riverside walkway to stroll along in the evening, it was a good place to relax for a few days.
Although it was good too see the Giant Buddha and the monasteries around the area my real enjoyment came from just hanging out and meeting the people of Leshan.
Perfect!
Visiting The Leshan Giant Buddha Practicalities
If you plan to visit the Leshan Giant Buddha from Chengdu then take the public transport (train is best) for a budget trip, or if you plan to sty in Leshan.
Otherwise you can come on an organised Leshan Giant Buddha Tour From Chengdu
If you will be heading to China and going to Beijing then have a look at my post about the best things to do in Beijing.
I recommend using SafetyWing Travel Insurance for your trip, just in case, it’s best to be prepared.
Also for an overall guide for China I highly recommend Lonely Planet China. It’s the one I used for my travels there and where I got the information about Leshan and the Giant Buddha from.
If you do end up staying in Leshan then you can Find places to stay in Leshan here.
Or if you come from Chengdu on a tour you can find places to stay in Chengdu also here.
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