Experience The Grandeur That Is The Leshan Giant Buddha

The massive Leshan Giant Buddha is a stone statue of Buddha carved directly into a cliff. It is also the tallest statue of its kind in the world. Located in the southern part of the Sichuan province of China, the statue depicts a Maitreya Buddha sitting with his hands on his knees. According to the Buddhist faith, Maitreya is the future Buddha who will come to remind people about dharma after the teachings of Gautama Buddha have been forgotten. Absolutely awe-inspiring, the Leshan Giant Buddha towers over the confluence of the rivers Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi and faces Mount Emei.

Size Does Matter

At 71-metre tall, the statue of Buddha is colossal indeed. The ears of the statue measure seven metres long, the shoulders stretch over 28 metres, each eyebrow is 18 feet long, each big toe measures eight and a half meters and the statue’s smallest toenail can comfortably seat an adult. Imagine that!

A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Also known as the Leshan Dafo, the construction of the Leshan Giant Buddha began in the year 713AD under the rule of the Tang Dynasty and took 90 years to be completed. The idea behind the construction of this grand statue was that of a Chinese monk called Haitong, who hoped that the construction of this statue would calm the choppy waters of the rivers. This eventually helped as the large amounts of rubble that was chiseled away from the cliff ultimately ended up in the river, which finally calmed the currents of the river.

Such is the opulence of the Leshan Giant Buddha that it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. Deep inside the body of the Buddha statue is a complex drainage system to help prevent wear and tear caused by the elements. However, the statue has begun to show its age and has developed a layer of moss.

What to See

The best way to enjoy a view of this gigantic masterpiece is to begin at the head and then wind your way down the staircase to get a worm’s eye view. Within the Leshan Giant Buddha complex is the Wuyou Temple, also built during the Tang Dynasty. The temple contains interesting calligraphy, artifacts and the fascinating terracotta arhat, which are essentially Buddhist celestial beings depicted in a variety of poses and facial expressions. The beauty of these terracotta figures is that no two of them are alike.

Travel Tip

Even though it is possible to tour the Leshan Giant Buddha complex in a couple of hours, it is advised you spend at least half a day here to truly enjoy a relaxed experience of this breathtaking manmade wonder.