Leshan Great Buddha

Why the Leshan Great Buddha is special
The Leshan Great Buddha is the tallest carved statue in the world. It was sculpted out of a hillside more than 1200 years ago.

Leshan Great Buddha tips and insights
How to pronounce
Leshan: luh-shah'n

Size
The seated statue's measurements are staggering. The Leshan Great Buddha is 71 meters (234 feet) high. The head is as high as a five story building. The middle fingers (see photo) are nearly five times taller than the average person.

Viewing
You can view the Leshan Great Buddha from the deck of a tourist boat or by climbing up and down the steep stairs that flank the statue. The boat provides a perspective view, the stairway gives you an up close look at the statue's features. If you have time, do both.

When to visit
Avoid the typical long waiting lines for the stairs by being one of the first or last people of the day to visit the Leshan Great Buddha.

Creation
The statue was carved over a 90-year period overlapping the 8th and 9th centuries.

Setting
The statue's head is at hilltop level, its feet are at riverside level. The Leshan Great Buddha overlooks the confluence of three rivers and faces the 3,000 meter (10,000 foot) high Mount Emei, one of China's holiest mountains.

Once enclosed
The Leshan Great Buddha was enclosed in a wooden structure, but that shell was destroyed during 14th century warfare. The statue has been exposed to the elements ever since.

Restoring
The government has been mending the statue's structural defects to save it for posterity.

Drainage
The original sculptors built a drainage system inside the statue to help protect it from water damage. It still functions today.

Nearest major city
The Leshan Great Buddha is near the town of Leshan, which is about 150 kilometers south of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province.