Leshan Giant Buddha is situated to the east of Leshan City at the meeting point of Min River, Qingyi River and Dadu River. There are many interesting spots within this scenic area, but the Leshan Giant Buddha has successfully made itself the most well popular scenic spot throughout Leshan City. The huge statue of Buddha has been listed as one of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in year 1996.
The huge statue of Buddha was carved of a cliff face that facing Mount Emei with rivers flowing below its feet. The carving work of this huge Buddha was begun in year 713 of Tang Dynasty and took over 90 years to complete. It is 71 meters high and its fingers are about three meters long too. Moreover, the instep of the statue for about eight meters long is big enough for one hundred people to sit on while the shoulder with 28 meters width is almost compatible for a basketball court. All these amazing figure of the statue has made it no doubt to be the largest carved stone Buddha in the world.
The impression that the statue of Buddha can offer is not just its size but also its architectural artistry. The Buddha’s coiled hair which seems to be integrated perfectly among one another is in fact made up of 1021 stone buns that skillfully embedded on the head. On the other hand, the seven-meter long ears and the nose of the stone Buddha were wooden made. Anyway, the original carved wooden nose and ears had all been eroded throughout the years and the entire look of the Buddha was an outcome of renovation project that carried out in year 1962.
Moreover, the drainage system throughout the stone sculptures is also one of the highlight of the spot. Hidden gutters and channels are scatters on the head and arms, behind the ears and within the clothes of the stone Buddha. The design of this drainage system is purposely used to displace rainwater while ensure dryness of the inner part of the giant Buddha at the same time in order to protect the stone Buddha from water erosion.