One Day Trip to Chengdu Panda Base and Leshan Buddha Tour

Morning: at 8:00am, the driver will meet you in hotel lobby,heading to Panda Breeding Center to watch panda having breakfast.The tour is about 2 hours,The adorable pandas from Baby to adult will present you a unforgettable morning.

After panda base, drive 2.5 hour to Leshan giant buddha. There are 2 ways of visiting Leshan giant buddha: One is river cruise，which will last about only 20 mins.you will see panorama buddha.another is to climb up the mount.you will have chance to visit the temple.and walking down the cliff to the foot.usually IT’S crowded，queuing will take 0.5-2 hours.Climbing up the mount will involve lot of walking, so we suggest the senior to choose river cruise.

LeShan Giant Buddha History and Facts

The famous 71 meters Leshan Giant Buddha is the largest and tallest stone Buddha statue in the world and it is by far the tallest pre-modern statue in the world.Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.Leshan Giant Buddha lies at the confluence of the Minjang, Dadu and Qingyi in city of Leshan in the Chinese province of Sichuan.Historical Background: The construction was started in 713, led by a Chinese monk named Haitong. He hoped that the Giant Buddha Statue would calm the turbulent waters that plagued the shipping vessels traveling down the river.When funding for the project was threatened, he is said to have gouged out his own eyes to show his piety and sincerity. After his death, however, the construction was stuck due to insufficient funding. About 70 years later, a jiedushi decided to sponsor the project and the construction was completed by Haitong’s disciples in 803.Apparently the massive construction resulted in so much stone being removed from the cliff face and deposited into the river below that the currents were indeed altered by the statue, making the waters safe for passing ships.

A sophisticated drainage system was incorporated into the Leshan Giant Buddha when it was built. It is still in working order. It includes drainage pipes carved into various places on the body, to carry away the water after the rains so as to reduce weathering.

When the Giant Buddha was carved, a huge thirteen story wood structure (similar to the one at the Rongxian Giant Buddha) was built to shelter it from rain and sunshine. This structure was destroyed and sacked by the Mongols during the wars at the end of the Yuan Dynasty. From then on, the stone statue was exposed to the elements.