Largest Buddha in the World - Leshan, China

The Leshan Buddha at Leshan, Sichuan China is the largest Buddha in the world. Carved into the sandstone side of a cliff, it is over 1300 years old. Two rivers meet here and you can take a boat out onto the river for a close up view and to take photos as I did here. Known by the Chinese as Da Fo, the Buddha took 90 years to carve. To the left of Da Fo are steps carved into the cliff so you can climb down to the foot of the Buddha. To show you the size, each toe of his foot is 25 feet long and each ear is 22 feet long. There are steps to the right of the Buddha going up inside the cliff to the top where you will find the Mahaoya Tomb Musuem with many artifacts shown in it. There is also a statue of the Monk who organized the carving of the Buddha. Leshan is located just south of Chengdu and can be visited in just one day either from Chengdu or on the way to Chongqing. Staying overnight in Leshan is always interesting as there are few western tourists and a nice city to enjoy the local culture without a crowd of tourists around every corner. Another city near by is Zigong known for the ancient museum of Dinosaurs and an ancient salt mine over 2000 years old. Again another city where few if any tourists visit and you can really get into the local culture. For more places to visit check my web site at www.interlakechinatours.com and you might want to subscribe to my Blog and be notified each time I write a new story.  Click on the photos for full screen view    25 Years of doing Quality Tours to China!