• Dafo Leshan

  • The Leshan Giant Buddha(also called Leshan Dafo)  is the tallest stone Buddha statue in the world.It is carved out of a cliff face that lies at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers in the southern part of Sichuan province in China. The "Mount Emei Scenic Area with Leshan Giant Buddha" was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

    Historydafo leshan

    During the Tang Dynasty (AD 713) a monk called Hai Tong believed that Buddha would calm the waters for safe ship passage if he carved a statue. In this spot three rivers (Min River, Qingyi River and Dadu) collide creating dangerous, tumultuous boat travel. The people blamed water spirits for the high currents and resulting loss of lives.

    After 20 years Hai Tong raised enough money to build the statue. A government official had different plans for the money and tried to blackmail him. Hai Tong told him that they could have his eyeballs, but not the donated money. He then gorged his eyeballs out and presented them to the official on a platter. This scared the official and convinced him to leave the money alone.

    When Hai died the statue was half finished. Two of his disciples continued the work until completion in AD 803.


    What to See

    Known as Dafo, the statue depicts a seated Maitreya Buddha with his hands resting on his knees, gazing across the river with heavy-lidded eyes.

    Standing 71 meters (233 feet) tall, Dafo is the tallest Buddha statue in the world. His shoulders are 28 meters (92 feet) wide and his smallest toenail can accommodate a seated person. Each eyebrow is 18 feet long. According to a local saying, "The mountain is a Buddha and the Buddha is a mountain."

    Several drainage passages hidden in the Buddhas hair, collar, chest, and holes in the back of his ears preventing the Buddha from serious erosion and weathering. He has been lovingly maintained on a regular basis throughout his 1,200-year history, but is still a bit mossy.

    Visitors stare in awe at the Buddha from the tourist ferries and from a terrace next to his ear.

    Travel Tips

    The Giant Buddha is only 120km from Chengdu, Sichuan. Taking a half-day excursion from Chengdu to see this impressive site is highly recommended. Or make a weekend out of it and travel on to Emei Shan only 31 km away.

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