Holiday Destination: Leshan

Leshan is a prefecture level city located at the confluence of the Dadu and Min rivers in Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China. Leshan is located on the southwestern fringe of the Red Basin in southern Sichuan, about 120 km from Chengdu. In ancient times Leshan was known as Jiazhou and was reputed as the place Where there is the most beautiful landscape in all Sichuan, there is Jiazhou. It was famous for its abundance of the Chinese flowering crab apple and long ago was given the title of Haitang Xiangguo. Nowadays Leshan is particularly well known as a city of National Key Tourist Attractions due to its natural landscape and wealth of cultural relics. The city's governance covers four districts "Shizhong District, Wutongqiao District, Shawan District, Jinkouhe District", four counties "Jiajiang County, Jingyan County, Jianwei County, Muchuan County", two Autonomous Counties "Yi Minority Autonomous Counties of Mabian, the Yi Minority Autonomous Counties of Ebian" and one county level city "Emeishan City". There are many Buddhist temples in these scenic areas including Wuyou Temple, Lingyun Temple, Baoguo Temple, Hufu Temple, Wannian Temple to name but a few. Notable scenic resorts in the surrounding area are: Wutongqiao which is an ancient waterside town located 24 km south of Leshan City.

Climate

Summer 26 °C (79 °F), Winter 7.1 °C (44.8 °F)

Tourist Season

Winter is the best Season for visiting Leshan.

Accommodation

Hotels.

General Information Of Leshan

• Land Area: 12,827 sq mi (39,519 km2)
• Population: 3.5 Million.
• Capital City: Sichuan.
• Language: Chinese and English.

Tourist Attraction in or Near by Leshan

Leshan Giant Buddha

The Leshan Giant Buddha is the tallest stone Buddha statue in the world, which was carved out of a cliff. The site was listed on the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1996. The Giant Buddha lies at the junction of the Minjiang River, Dadu and Qingyi Rivers. The stone sitting sculpture faces the sacred Mt. Emei, with the rivers flowing below his feet. It was the idea of a Chinese monk named Haitong, who hoped that the Buddha would calm the turbulent waters that plagued the shipping vessels travelling down the river. The rock and mud excavated from the mountain exposing the Buddha filled up the riverbed, creating a more favorable flow of water. Consequently the river did become calmer. The statue depicts a seated Maitreya Buddha with his hands resting on his knees. Maitreya is the future Buddha, who will appear to preach the dharma when the teachings of Gautama Buddha have faded away.

Mount Emei

Mount Emei is a mountain in Sichuan province, China. Mount Emei is often written and occasionally but all three are translated as Mount Emei or Mount Emeishan: the word can mean high or lofty, but the mountain's name is merely a toponym that carries no additional meaning. Orographically, Mt. Emei sits at the western rim of the Sichuan Basin. The mountains west of it are known as Daxiangling. A large surrounding area of countryside is geologically known as the Permian Emeishan Large Igneous Province, a large igneous province generated by the Emeishan Traps volcanic eruptions during the Permian Period. At 3,099 mt, Mt. Emei is the highest of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China.

Wannian Temple

The temple of 10,000 Years is the oldest surviving Emei monastery. It is dedicated to the man on the white elephant, the Bodhisattva Puxian, who is the protector of the mountain. This statue 8.5 meters high, cast in copper and bronze, and weighing an estimated 62,000 km is found in Brick Hall, a domed building with small stupas on it. It is said that there is a kind of special small frog on the Emei Mountain in the rectangle pond at the right side inside the Wannian Temple. In quiet evening, they will release pleasant sound all the year. All who have heard the sound describe this kind of frog as Playing Instrument Frog.

Puning Temple

The Puning Temple of Chengde, Hebei province, China is a Qing Dynasty era Buddhist temple complex built in 1755, during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor to show the Qing's respect to the ethnic minorities. It is located near the Chengde Mountain Resort, and alongside the equally famed Putuo Zongcheng Temple, it is one of the Eight Outer Temples of Chengde. Puning Temple is a Qing Dynasty era Buddhist temple complex built in 1755. It is of grand scale, occupying an area of more than 23,000 square meters. The main structure in the temple is the Hall of Great Buddha, hence the Puning Temple is often nicknamed the Big Buddha Temple. The complex features temple halls, pavilions, drum towers and bell towers.

Golden Summit

Golden Summit in Mount Emei is the highlight of Mount Emei, an important attraction integrating the temples and scenic sites together. In 1983, it was classified as one of the national Han Chinese Buddhist temples. As a wondrous sight-seeing platform and the biggest pilgrimage centre of Chinese Buddhists, it has been crowned as a scenic masterpiece in the Chinese World. It was constructed during the Eastern Han Dynasty and has been rebuilt several times after being struck by lightning. Golden Summit is in a height of 3,078 mt above the sea level. When standing here, tourists will find that clouds are lower than the peak which ensures to savor the exotic exciting scenes such as magnificent sunrise, clouds sea, mysterious Buddha rays, as well as the holy Saint Lamps.

Baoguo Temple

Baoguo Temple is located in Mt. Emei Scenic Area as the No.1 Buddhist temple in this attraction. Among the countless temples in Emei Mount, Baoguo Temple is the entrance of it. It is the start of Mount Emei as an important passageway that you must pass when climbing up to the Emei Mountain. The quiet environment and the dense religious atmosphere make it as a charming site for tourists to get touch with the Chinese Buddhism. Facing the east, Baoguo Temple awaits the arrival of the rising sun in the morning and sends off the setting sun in the dusk. In front of the temple gate there is a pair of stone lions carved in the Ming Dynasty. They are lively, grand and mighty, like door guards protecting the temple as well as the Mt. Emei.

Accessibility

Bus Terminal in or Near by

Leshan Lianyun Bus Station

Longyou Road East Section, Shizhong
Leshan, Sichuan, China

Railway Stations

Leshan Railway Station

Zhi Du Da Dao, Jia Jiang Xian
Leshan, Sichuan, China