The Leshan Giant Buddha

The Leshan Giant Buddha is situated on the west side of the Xiluan Peak (Phoenix-Perched Peak) of Mt. Lingyun, overlooking the confluence of the Mingjiang, Dadhue and Qingyijiang rivers. Around it you will find a huge cultural treasure trove. The Mahoa Cliff Tombs disclose a myriad of unearthed antiques which date back nearly two thousand years ago. Moreover, you will be fascinated by scenic spots such as Nine-Turn Plank Walkway, Lingyun Temple, Lingbao Pagoda (Deity Pagoda), Dongpo Pavilion, and Giant Sleeping Buddha.

To the right of the Giant Buddha is a precipitous passageway, with 250 steps downward, which zigzags with nine turns. This is the famous Nine-Turn Plank walkway. As you descend it, you may be overwhelmed with dizziness, feeling as if you perched on a perilous abyss. At the top of the cliff, level with the head of the Giant Buddha is a veranda where tourists may relax. Alongside the paths of the cliffs are enshrined two notable statuettes, engraved during the Tang Dynasty and still intact, the best examples among thousands of statuettes on both sides.

Mt. Lingyun is no more than 140 meters high, but it is the highest among the nine peaks of the mountains. Lingyun Temple on the Xiluan Peak and the Lingbao Pagoda on the Lingbao Peak are the only remaining structures on the nine peaks. Lingyun Temple is a complex on a grand scale, not far from which stands the Giant Buddha. From the cliff nearby you can see every detail of the Giant Buddha’s head. Since the Giant Buddha is located in front of the Lingyun Temple, it is also called Giant Lingyun Buddha. The temple is otherwise named Giant Buddha Temple because of its proximity to the Giant Buddha.

Dongpo Pavilion, a two-story wooden structure, another scenic sight at the Xiluan Peak, is behind the statue, and named after the celebrated poet Su Shi, who went by the pen-name of Su Dongpo. In front of the pavilion lies a pool, called the Ink-Washing Pool, where Dongpo supposedly washed his writing brushes. Adjacent to Lingyun Temple stands Mt, Wuyou, which is connected to Mt. Lingyun by a cable suspension bridge over a brook; this is an indispensable link to the entire area. Wuyou Temple, standing on Mt. Wuyou, was designed to conform to the rolling terrain in an exquisite style. The Deity Pagoda is so named because of its location on Deity Peak, one of the nine peaks of Mt. Lingyun. It is also commonly known as the White Pagoda and Sakyamuni Sarira Pagoda. Ascending to the top of the pagoda, tourists can view the surging rivers, the west part of Mt. Emei, and the skyline of Leshan City proper.

Giant Sleeping Buddha is acclaimed as a marvelous spectacle, made up of the contours of Mt. Wuyou, Mt. Lingyun, and Mt. Guicheng (Tortoise City Mountain). The Giant Buddha lies asleep on the east bank of the Minjiang River, extending roughly 1,300 meters with its head to the south and its feet to the north. Observed from a distance from the opposite bank, Leshan Giant Buddha is appropriately seated in the bosom of Giant Sleeping Buddha, presenting a miracle of the “Buddha existing within a Buddha”. As an integral part of the scenery of Leshan, it conveys to tourists both aesthetic perceptions and religious sentiments of the Chinese Buddhist culture.

HOW TO TOUR LESHAN GIANT BUDDHA