RELIGIOUS TOURISM

RELIGIOUS TOURISM

•  History of Leshan Giant Buddha

Construction was started in 713, led by a Chinese monk named Haitong. 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 water safe for passing ships.When the Giant Buddha was carved, a huge thirteen storey stone structure,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.

 Further....

• The Buddha was carved into the mountain face to watch over a part of the river that while very busy for transport was claiming the lives and stock of many boats. Upon completion of the now largest Buddha in the world the river became safe, and thus Buddha saved "us all". You may speculate about this and modern scientists will quickly point out the rock displacement to the river bed would have changed the currents, and killed off the eddies that were pulling boats down. Why the river is now safe i shall leave to you.

If you go late in the day, you will not have to compete with many Chinese tour groups who seem to go in the morning. There are two ways to see the giant Buddha: on foot and by river ferry. To see the giant Buddha Statue by ferry you can take one of the ferries from the dock for ¥70. The ferry will cross the river and stop in front of the statue for 10 minutes for everyone to go to the top deck and take pictures and then return to the dock. Ferry fare does not include admission to the park itself Taking the ferry allows you to view the two guards carved into the cliff face which is not visible by foot. The total trip will take around 40 minutes. The view from the ferry is not much different from the view at the base of the statue, which would make it unnecessary unless you're dead set on having a photo taken of yourself with the Buddha.

An alternative is take a taxi or bus (#13 from downtown) to the statue and climb up and down on the cliff surrounding the Buddha. Costs ¥90 (¥50 with a valid student ID) to enter the park. There is a staircase next to the Buddha to take you down to its feet. In the mornings, long lines develop to walk down the cliff to the base of the Buddha and you can expect to wait for around 2 hours. It may be best to arrive very early or in the late afternoon to avoid the jostling and lines. There are several other (newer) things to see on site, so perhaps seeing them first and saving the Buddha for last is a smart strategy.

There is a third alternative in winter. When the water level of the 3 rivers is low, there appears a rubble island on which you can walk towards the buddha. The island ends maybe 200 metres in front of the statue, but it's a nice panorama from there. You can get to the island with a ferry from the south bank of the city (¥1 per passage) and walk about 2km from there. Entrance to the mountain, though not expensive to most, can be reduced in price if you pester them for Student or OAP discounts, both available, though a quick grasp of Chinese is useful.

Food in this locality is very expensive and is best avoided unless you are very hungry in which case any of the cafes nearby will do. Given that you will pay through the nose anyway, it's best to choose the one with air con if you are visiting in the summer.