The China Diary: Day 9, Leshan
The Giant Buddha
In the Sichuan province of China, Leshan is best known for the Giant Buddha. Standing 71 meters (233 feet) tall, the Leshan Giant Buddha is just that...GIANT. It is the largest buddha in the world. Even the fingers measure about 8 meters (27 feet) long. In 1996, it was included as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
It is located at the junction of three different rivers, the Min River, the Qingyi River, and the Dadu River.
Construction of the Giant Buddha began in the year 713 during the Tang Dynasty, and was finished in 803. It is amazing to think they finished this enormous and extremely detailed work of art in just 90 years.
There are 1,021 coils in the Buddha's hair as well as many gutters and channels built into the Buddha to allow efficient drainage during storming seasons.
This Giant Buddha was built because a Monk suggested to protect the waters in that area. During the storming seasons, the rivers raged and caused many boat accidents and loss of resources for those who inhabited the area. He hoped that this Giant Buddha would help calm the Waters.
The best way to view the entire Giant Buddha, is to take the boat ferry. It is a separate tour than to actually hike around the buddha. To hike, you have to enter the park. It is a steep and narrow staircase that leads you up around and behind the Giant Buddha, and back down in front of it. Most people reported that hiking the Giant Buddha takes several hours because the narrow stairway and paths only allow one person at a time, so there is often a traffic jam or hold up along the way. This time, I only took the boat tour, but I hope when I return, hopefully not in a middle of summer when the heat is intense, that I can hike it sometime in the future.
