Leshan Giant Buddha

乐山大佛景区

The world's largest stone Buddha, 71 metres of carved cliff

⚠ Weekend stair queues can run hours

Hours

7:30am–6:30pm

Tickets

Adults ¥80; free under 6 and over 65. River boat ¥70 extra

Address

Shizhong, Leshan, on the Lingyun Hill cliff where three rivers meet

Stand by the head and a single ear towers over you; dozens of people could stand on one foot. It took some ninety years in the Tang dynasty to carve the whole riverside cliff into this figure. The classic route starts at the head and zigzags down the narrow cliff stairway to the feet, but in peak season that stairway alone can mean a wait of several hours. Skip the queue and take a river boat instead, which shows the whole front at once, guardian figures on either side included.