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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.
Interesting insights about
the Leshan Great Buddha
 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.
The Leshan Great Buddha was once enclosed in a wooden
structure, but was destroyed during 14th century warfare. The statue has been exposed to the elements ever since.
The government has been mending the
statue's structural defects to save it for posterity.
Leshan Great
Buddha tips & insights
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.
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.
The
statue was carved
over a 90 year period overlapping the 8th and 9th centuries.
The original sculptors built
a drainage system inside the statue to help protect it from water damage. It still functions today.
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.
Tips for your
vacation tour or trip
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.
Pronunciation guide
Leshan: luh-shah'n
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