Leshan Things to Do

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This temple was built around AD 750 during the Tang Dynasty. In the temple are many places of cultural and historical interest such as the Tianwang (Heavenly Kings) Hall, Mituo Hall, Daxiong Grand Hall, Guanyin Hall and Wuyou Hall.

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If, after taking the route down to the Giant Buddha's feet, you take the cliff path towards Wuyou Temple, you'll go through this traditional fishing village. The village itself is said to be boat-shaped in order to be an imitation of the ancient Luocheng town built during the Qing dynasty. You'll find several places selling food and drinks plus souvenirs.

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This 13 storey pagoda sits on top of Lingbao Peak, hence its name, and was built in the 7th century which is when the temple was built. It reaches a height of 29 metres and contains five halls inside. Unfortunately it doesn't appear to be possible to climb up inside.

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This cave lies within the grounds of Lingyun Temple, which itself is located above the Giant Buddha's head. Anyou, a native of Jiazhou (now known as Leshan) was executive of the Ministry of Finance at the end of the 15th century and studied the Book of Change (Yijing) here. In the cave there are five stone tablets carved by Yuan Zirang, governor of Jiazhou.

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This temple is located above the Giant Buddha's head. It was built in the 7th century and renovated in the 17th century. In addition to the Giant Buddha, the temple is said to be "the most magnificent building in the southwest".

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Trails run all over the Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Park and are well maintained if a little steep in places and are well sign-posted. You'll pass by lots of little pools, statues and stone inscriptions along the way to the staircase that takes you down to the Giant Buddha's feet.

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Facing the river, the Buddha has symmetrical posture and looks which have been beautifully captured in its solemn stillness. It is 71 meters (about 233 feet) high, and has three-meter-long (about 11 feet) fingers. The eight-meter-long (about 27 feet) instep is big enough for one hundred people to sit on and the 28-meter-wide (about 92 feet) shoulder is large enough to be a basketball playground. The large pair of ears, each seven meters (about 23 feet) long, is made of wood and is decorated by mud on the surface. His nose measures 5.6 meters (18 feet).

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The Leshan Giant Buddha is a 71 meter high statue of Maitreya (a Bodhisattva usually represented as a very stout monk with a broad smile on his face and with his naked breast and paunch exposed to view) in sitting posture. The Buddha is located at the confluence of three rivers, namely, Min River, Qingyi River, and Dadu River. In December 1996, the location of the Buddha was included by UNESCO on the list of the World Heritage sites. Construction began in 713 in the Tang Dynasty, and was led by a Chinese monk named Haitong. He hoped that the Buddha would calm the turbulent waters that plagued the shipping vessels travelling down the river. Construction finished in 803, with the statue taking people more than 90 years to carve. During these years, thousands of workers had expended their efforts and wisdom on the project. As the biggest carved stone Buddha in the world, Leshan Giant Buddha is featured in poetry, song and story.

Open: Apr 1st to Oct 7th - 7:30-18:30. Oct 8th to Mar 31st 8:00-17:30. Admission: Y70.