Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area is located at Lingyun Road on the east bank of the Min River in Shizhong District, Leshan City, Sichuan Province, at the confluence of the Min River, Qingyi River, and Dadu River. The scenic area is a national 5A-level tourist attraction. It is characterized by the Leshan Giant Buddha, the largest existing open-air cliff stone carving in the world, as well as historical sites such as Lingbao Pagoda, Lingyun Mountain, the Giant Sleeping Buddha, and Wuyou Mountain, with profound cultural heritage and beautiful natural scenery. The scenic area covers an area of 17.88 square kilometers.
History and Culture
The Leshan Giant Buddha was carved in the first year of Kaiyuan in the Tang Dynasty (713 AD) and completed in the 19th year of Zhenyuan (803 AD), taking about ninety years. At that time, the confluence of the three rivers saw turbulent waters and frequent shipwrecks. Monk Haitong decided to carve a Maitreya Buddha statue to fend off floods and bless the people. The construction of the statue went through many twists and turns. After Monk Haitong passed away, the project was interrupted. Later, Zhangqiu Jianqiong, Wei Gao, and others successively donated their salaries to continue the construction, which was finally completed.
When first built in the Tang Dynasty, the Leshan Giant Buddha was called the "Great Maitreya Stone Statue of Lingyun Temple in Jiazhou". Through the Song, Ming, Republic of China and other periods, the name gradually evolved, and now it is commonly known as the "Leshan Giant Buddha". In 1996, the Leshan Giant Buddha was inscribed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO.
Main Attractions
Leshan Giant Buddha
The Leshan Giant Buddha stands on the three rivers, with hands resting on knees, carrying nine peaks on the back, and a solemn expression. It sits against the mountain, with a total height of 71 meters. Among them, the head is 14.7 meters high and 10 meters wide, with 1,051 buns; the ears are 7 meters long, the eyebrows and nose are 5.6 meters long each, and the mouth and eyes are 3.3 meters long each; the neck is 3 meters high, the shoulders are 24 meters wide, the fingers are 8.3 meters long, the distance from the knee to the instep is about 28 meters, the instep is 8.5 meters wide, and the foot surface can seat about a hundred people.
On both sides of the Buddha statue are two stone carvings of Dharma-protecting Heavenly Kings, each more than 16 meters tall. There are also hundreds of niches and thousands of stone carvings, forming a magnificent Buddhist art stone carving landscape. To the left of the Buddha is the nearly 500-meter-long Lingyun Plank Road, and to the right is the Jiuqu Plank Road.
Lingbao Pagoda
Lingbao Pagoda is a navigation mark, built with blue bricks. The pagoda is 40 meters high, with two layers of bases and an 11-meter side length. The pagoda has five floors, each with arc-shaped windows for lighting, allowing visitors to have a panoramic view of the three rivers.
It is the landmark pagoda of Leshan Ancient City and a key cultural relic protection unit in Sichuan Province. In 2006, it was announced by the State Council as a national key cultural relic protection unit. It is said that the relics of Monk Haitong are in Lingbao Pagoda.
Haishi Cave
Haishi Cave is located at the top of Lingyun Mountain behind the head of the Leshan Giant Buddha. The cave forehead is engraved with the three characters "Haishi Cave", written by Gu Guangxu, the governor of Sichuan in the Qing Dynasty, and re-engraved by later generations. It is said that Monk Haitong once lived here. In front of the cave is a bronze bell from the Ming Dynasty, and outside the cave is a sculpture of Monk Haitong sitting.
Giant Sleeping Buddha
The Giant Sleeping Buddha is on the periphery of the Leshan Giant Buddha, with a total length of more than 4,000 meters. The head is composed of Wuyou Mountain, the body is composed of Lingyun Mountain, and the feet are composed of Guicheng Mountain. The Leshan Giant Buddha sits inside the Sleeping Buddha, forming a unique landscape of "having the Buddha in the heart" and "the heart is the Buddha". The area around Yingchunmen Wharf in the east of Leshan Ancient City is a suitable place to view the Sleeping Buddha.
Wuyou Temple
Wuyou Temple was originally called Zhengjue Temple. It was founded in the Tang Dynasty and renamed Wuyou Temple in the Northern Song Dynasty. It is located on Wuyou Mountain on the east bank of Leshan City. In the temple, there is Erya Terrace, on the side of which are engraved the four characters "Mainstay". There are also landscapes such as Arhat Hall, Mahavira Hall, Mituo Hall, Guanyin Hall, Jingyun Pavilion, and Wuyou Bodhisattva Statue. In 1983, the State Council established Wuyou Temple as a key temple for Han nationality areas across the country.
Local Cuisine
Qiaojiao Beef
Feng Sanniang Qiaojiao Beef, Gushi Xiang Qiaojiao Beef and other local famous Qiaojiao Beef restaurants. Qiaojiao Beef is made by boiling old soup with dozens of natural herbs, and the beef is fresh, fragrant and tender, which is a characteristic flavor food of Leshan.
Bobo Chicken
Bobo Chicken, Weixiao·Kaishui Chicken Bobo Chicken and others are well-known. Bobo Chicken strings various ingredients on bamboo sticks and soaks them in carefully prepared red oil or prickly ash oil, which is full of flavor and rich in taste.
Bitter Bamboo Shoot Stewed Chicken
The bitter bamboo shoot stewed chicken of Daoxiangcun Bitter Bamboo Shoot Chicken is well-known. It selects bitter bamboo shoots picked in the morning and local chickens raised by rural cooperatives, stewed slowly for two hours without adding any spices. The chicken is soft and waxy, the bitter bamboo shoots are slightly bitter at first and sweet in the aftertaste, and the soup is fresh and delicious.
Malatang
Xiao Xiang Malatang is an online celebrity restaurant. The dishes are fresh, the meat is soft and tender, and the seasoning is just right. It is recommended to have coriander and pickled pepper beef skewers, ribs, boneless duck feet, etc., paired with the local soft drink Emei Snow, which is refreshing and delicious.
Barbecue
Xia Datou Barbecue is located on Jiufeng Road behind the Leshan Giant Buddha. The signature grilled shrimp and ribs are excellent. The grilled shrimp is spicy, fragrant and crispy, and very tasty.
Entrance Tickets
The ticket price is 80 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "乐山大佛景区" on WeChat to get the latest information or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours
From April 1 to October 7: 07:30-18:30, the latest admission is 18:30; from October 8 to March 31 of the following year: 08:00-17:30, the latest admission is 17:30. Subject to the actual opening hours of the scenic area.
Tour Routes
Enter from the east gate, first arrive at the tourist center, buy tickets and get scenic area information. Then walk about 800 meters to the north gate of Leshan Giant Buddha to view the Buddha and Lingyun Temple up close. Then walk along the Jiuqu Plank Road to enjoy the scenery along the way and the full view of the Giant Buddha, passing through multiple viewing platforms. Continue to Lingbao Pagoda and climb to the top to overlook the scenic area. After leaving Lingbao Pagoda, you can visit the museum to have an in-depth understanding of the history and culture of Leshan Giant Buddha.
Transportation
- You can take a bus from the center of Leshan City to the scenic area.
- Leshan Railway Station has direct buses to the Giant Buddha.
- Self-driving tourists can park their vehicles in the scenic area parking lot.
Must-Visit Attractions
- Leshan Giant Buddha: The largest existing open-air cliff stone carving of Maitreya Buddha in the world, with a total height of 71 meters. It has exquisite craftsmanship and a clever drainage system, with extremely high artistic and historical values.
- Jiuqu Plank Road: Carved along the rock wall on the right side of the Buddha statue, it is steep and tortuous, allowing visitors to enjoy the Buddha from different angles with beautiful scenery along the way.
- Giant Sleeping Buddha: A naturally formed sleeping Buddha landscape with a total length of more than 4,000 meters, which complements the Leshan Giant Buddha and forms a unique scene of "having the Buddha in the heart".
Tour Tips
- From May to November, the climate is pleasant and the scenery is beautiful, which is a good time for sightseeing, but there are many tourists, so it is necessary to plan the itinerary in advance.
- You can choose to take a cruise ship to view the Leshan Giant Buddha and the Giant Sleeping Buddha from the river, with a unique perspective.
- There are many historical and cultural relics in the scenic area. You can hire a guide to explain them to better understand the relevant knowledge.
Precautions
- Some areas in the scenic area are slippery, especially the Jiuqu Plank Road. Please pay attention to safety when walking.
- The temperature is high in summer, so take sun protection and heatstroke prevention measures; keep warm in winter.
- Abide by the regulations of the scenic area, and do not touch cultural relics or damage the environment at will.