The world's largest stone Buddha — 71 meters carved from a cliff face
The Leshan Giant Buddha is the world's largest stone Buddha statue, carved from the red sandstone cliffs at the confluence of three rivers in Leshan, 130km from Chengdu. Standing 71 meters tall (taller than the Statue of Liberty), the Buddha was commissioned in 713 AD to calm the turbulent waters that were killing boatmen. The scale is incomprehensible until you're standing at its feet — its toenails are large enough for 100 people to sit on.
One of the most impressive scale subjects in all of China travel video — the boat view is spectacular on camera
Address: Leshan City, Sichuan Province (130km from Chengdu, 2hrs by HSR)
The easiest way to reach Leshan Giant Buddha is by Didi (China's ride-hailing app, similar to Uber). Download the Didi app and link your international credit card before arriving in China. Show the driver the Chinese name: 乐山大佛.
Metro is also available for most attractions — check the city metro map and look for the nearest station. All metro signs in Chengdu are bilingual (Chinese and English).
Citizens of 54+ countries including the USA, UK, EU nations, Canada, and Australia can visit China for up to 240 hours (10 days) without a visa. Leshan Giant Buddha is fully accessible during a visa-free transit stay.
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