GREAT LESHAN BUDDHA

Leshan's main attraction, the Great Buddha, makes the city famous: we understand why, especially from the opposite bank of the river. The construction of this Buddha began in 713, on the initiative of the Hai Tong monk. It had to placate the river whose whirlwind had cost many fishermen the lives and protect farmers from floods and floods. This gigantic sculpture carved out of the cliff took 90 years! Finished in 803, the Buddha measures 71 m of height, making him the greatest Buddha in the world. It was originally covered with a huge pagoda which only allowed the head to appear, and one can now see a miniature reproduction in the temple transformed into a museum at the level of the head of Buddha.

The Hai Tong monk has never seen the result of his company, but his prayers have been fulfilled: The stones thrown into the river during the construction of the Buddha filled the holes of the bed of the river which caused fatal wallets for the boatmasters.

The Buddha is protected by two guards, carved in the rock on both sides. These two statues are not visible from the farmland, but they can be admired from the boats connecting Pier 1 and Wuyou Temple. To avoid these tourist boats, it is best to take the ferry at the Binhe Lu pier to the sandbox in the middle of the Dadu River. All you need to do is walk to the end of this sandbox to have a breathtaking view of the Buddha and its two guards.

The site is classified as UNESCO World Heritage Site (since 1996).