On the Road continues the tour through southwest China’s Sichuan province. After visiting the Province’s capital city of Chengdu in our last edition, let’s head to center of the province and take a look at the Leshan Dafo, or the Giant Stone Buddha in Leshan City.

The source of the Min River is to be found in Da Xueshan, or the Grand Snow Mountain in northern Sichuan. It winds its way through Leshan City where it becomes a wide river. Here, the Min River joins the Dadu and the Qingyi rivers. At this special place where the three rivers meet, you can find the biggest stone Buddha in the world, Leshan Dafo.

Wah—what a great stone Buddha!

This is the reaction of almost everybody who sees the imposing statue for the first time. The Buddha is 71 meters high, his ear cavity can hold two people, and his instep is large enough to seat over 100 people. The whole statue was carved in the slope of the Lingyunshan Mountain overlooking the Dadu River. The Buddha has a graceful bearing and wears a peaceful expression.

This statue is a work of art. All the parts are almost perfectly proportioned, and the sculpture is well preserved. If you look carefully you will find a drainage system that is still in working order. Drainage pipes were carved in various places on the body, to carry away the water after the rains.

So without modern equipment how did people in those ancient times design and manage to create such a grand statue? It is certainly a testimony to the grandeur and ingenuity of the ancient Chinese people.

The carving of the statue began in the golden age of the Tang Dynasty, in 713, and was proposed by Monk Fatong of the Lingyun Temple on the same mountain. After several interruptions to the carving, it was finally completed about one hundred years later, in 803.

The Lingyun Mountain, where the statue is carved, is not very high, no more than 140 meters. But it began to make its fame amongst travelers and Buddhists during the Sui and Tang dynasties. . After the Buddha was carved, it became even more famous. Now, it’s one of the most popular places of pilgrimage.

Though it was designed to withstand harsh weather conditions, over a thousand years of wear has taken its toll. Strong winds, heavy rains, acid rain and visitors have left their mark. The stone coils of hair on the head of the statue have fallen down and the face has darkened.

But don’t worry. With government support, restoration work is being carried out. Shortly, visitors will be able to enjoy the newly renovated statue amidst the lush, green landscape of the Lingyun Mountain.

If you have come to see the grand Buddha of Leshan, don’t miss out on the other scenic spots. One I strongly recommend you to visit is the 2300-meter-high Wawu Mountain, the largest national park and a UNESCO world heritage site. There you can still find virgin forests, go hunting and taste all kinds of fruits to be found in the forest. Beyond your imagination, I’m sure!

It is one of the very few areas that are absolutely free from any pollution and you can discover many of nature’s hidden treasures in this captivating landscape of over 70 thousand hectares. Amongst those treasures there are over 70 waterfalls, weird and wonderfully sculpted stones and tree trunks, impressive caves and an abundance of animal life. It is even home to the Giant Panda. In a landscape, which boasts pure water, fragrant flowers, snow peaked mountains and shrouding mists what more could you wish for?

Wawu Mountain has long been listed as one of the top ten scenic spots of Sichuan. It’s about two hours’ drive from the grand Buddha statue, so getting there is not a problem.

Another place I highly recommend during your stay in Leshan is the Sansu Memorial Temple, a garden that dates back to the Song Dynasty. About a thousand years ago, three famous ancient writers lived here, a father and his two sons, Su Shi, Suxun, and Suzhe. The area the garden covers is rather large, 56 thousand square meters, but very simple with its red walls, green streams, halls, pavilions and small stone bridges. You can admire ancient Song Dynasty architecture as well as get a feel for the place, which inspired some of China’s great literary works.

Well, I hope my descriptions have inspired you to witness the beauty of Leshan for yourself. It’s time now for me to say goodbye, see you next time.

(China Radio Internatioanl 05/14/2001)