With its picturesque scenery, Jiuzhaigou is certainly a natural wonder of Sichuan. However, this mysterious land also boasts some overwhelming man-made beauties in which the human element has been skillfully integrated with nature.
From a gigantic Buddha statue carved out of a stone cliff to a golden temple at the summit of a sacred mountain, these masterpieces reflect the connection between nature and humans. Most of them are located around Mount Emei (峨眉山), 150 kilometers south of Sichuan’s capital, Chengdu.
1. Mount Emei
Soaring 3099 meters above sea level, Mount Emei (or Emeishan) is the central piece of Emeishan National Park. The very first Buddhist temple in China was built near the summit of this mountain in the first century, marking Buddhism’s arrival in the Eastern world. Today, the mountain houses more than 30 temples and is considered one of China’s holiest sites.
Atop this sacred mountain is the epic statue of Samantabhadra or Puxian in Chinese. It is said that the Samantabhadra has meditated here. Hence he/she has become the protector of the area, as well as the patron Buddha of monasteries in the region. The towering statue reaches a height of 48 meters and is covered thinly with gold. With massive graven heads faces in ten directions, the statue represent Samantabhadra’s ‘Ten Truths of Universal Worthiness’.
2. Leshan Giant Buddha
Facing Mount Emei is the remarkable Leshan Giant Buddha (乐山大佛). At 71 meters high (equal to a 23-story building), it’s the largest Buddha on the planet. The gigantic sculpture was carved out of a cliff face overlooking the confluence of three rivers.
The construction began at the beginning of the 8th century and took 90 years to complete. Together with Mount Emei, Leshan Giant Buddha has been declared as a UNESCO Heritage Site since 1996.
Tips for visiting Sichuan
- Mount Emei and Leshan Giant Buddha are accessible by buses and bullet trains from Chengdu. It is possible to visit both sites as a day-tripper, but it could be exhausted, especially if you intend to hike Mount Emei.
- To Mount Emei: Take the Chengdu-Leshan-Emeishan Intercity High-Speed Train to Emeishan station. Duration: 1 hour 40 minutes. Then, change to bus 5A, 8, or tourism bus. The buses also stop at various stations on the mountain.
- To Leshan Giant Buddha: Take the same bullet train but to Leshan station. Duration: 1 hour 20 minutes. From there, take bus 3 or 601 to reach the site.
- The journey on foot to the Golden Summit takes more than two hours, up steep stairs and winding through the valleys. A more comfortable way is using the cable car. For me, it was the only option because the weather was so bad and hiking in the fog is not really wise. The fog, somehow, did add a mystical touch to the whole area.
Wow, this giant Buddha is impressive… thanks for sharing Len! 🙂
My pleasure! 🙂
I just realized that there are two smaller statues at the base of the Giant Buddha. One question though… shouldn’t we be worried about the vegetation that covers some parts of the giant statue itself? As far as I’m concerned it will damage the structure in the long term.
Spot on! There are two other Buddhas standing at either side of the statue. But their faces are not visible anymore. I think the plants might be a threat for the statue. But pollution, for example, the acid rain and hordes of tourists pose a bigger problem 🙁
Absolutely wow! the pictures are great!! The Giant Buddha is just so impressive. Thanks for sharing.
You welcome, Julz! The statue is really huge and you can even walk up to the shoulders 🙂
How beautiful! The fog and plants really make it look mystical.
Yes, it is! But walking around with this thick layer of fog is not really easy 🙂 And because of it, I could not see the sea of cloud which is also one feature of the Golden Summit.
I love Sichuan. The food there are sooo good. I’ve been to Ermei Shan though. Great photos!
Many thanks! The food is good but deadly spicy haha. I remember that my tongue was numb after trying the special Sichuan’s pepper. But the Mapo Tofu is really good 😉
I really like these photos.
Thank you 😉
I’d never even heard of Emeishan but now I’ve seen pictures I’m very keen to visit! Looks amazing 🙂
Many thanks 🙂 It would be more beautiful if the sky is clearer.
Photos are just too good Len! I have never been to China (Raga has) but the photos make me wanna go.. 🙂
You definitely should! 😉
Very interesting account of a place still on my wish list yo visit. Its amazing how the bullet trains in China have really opened up China for travellers in recent years.
Indeed. It saves a lot of time and makes the trip more pleasant. I have read that a new route from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou will be opened in 2019 or 2020. It will shorten the current perilous 10-hours bus trip to more than two hours 🙂
Great shot of the giant Buddha at Lishan. Not crawling with people- amazing. I loved that area and it was one of the highlights of Sichuan province.
Many thanks! Actually, there was a lot of people on the statue, but they are so tiny, almost invisible in the photo 🙂
Serious, that’s china? Looks different (but not that I have been there…) Love the carving of Buddha in the mountain (accidentally typed bubba…) You are right, the fog gives a whole new meaning to living in the clouds.
Bubba 🙂 Sounds like a sort of bubble tea. The giant Buddha is really enormous. You can only get a full view of the statue when you are on a boat. Even his toe is bigger than me 🙂 You cannot see it in this picture but there are a lot of people crawling on both side and on the shoulder of the statue.
Farout, crazy man made stuff everywhere in china… Oh I’m sure his toe will be enough to squash you! Love Sichuan food though 🌶 🌶
How beautiful! Bit of a shame about the fog though 🙁 Gorgeous photos btw
Yes, it was a pity that I could not see the sea of cloud at the Golden Summit. But the fog was not so bad either 🙂 Many thanks for visiting!
I’m about to board the plane to China as I’m reading this. Sadly we’ll only be hitting Shanghai & Beijing, but China has so much more to offer!
Great pictures! Sadly we never visited Sichuan during our time in China, but it’s a place that I would love to see.
Such a pity! Maybe a reason to return to China, don’t you think 😉 Politics aside, I found China is a very interesting country. Each region has its own beauty, and it takes month (or even years) to see them all.
I would definitely like to return to visit. The variety of landscapes in the country adds to the beauty as well.
The picture of giant Buddha is amazing and wonderous. I guess you did justice to the daily prompt today more than ever.
Thanks for your very kind words, Megha 🙂
Truly wonderful. Loved the pics 🙂
Many thanks! 😀
I have seen some tacky-looking giant Buddhas in my travels but these are are grand not just in scale but in design too. The ten heads are striking and the cliff just accentuates the size of the carving. I like the gnarled trees too.
Many thanks, Caroline! Those statues are indeed impressive. They are enormous yet so delicate.
I think I know those tacky-looking (and often awkwardly colorful) Buddha statues that you mentioned. We also have some here. True thorns in the eyes 🙂
Sorry, I thought after I wrote that comment that calling some Buddha statues tacky-looking might not have been appropriate. Didn’t mean to single out Buddha statues.
Don’t worry, Caroline. I understand what you mean. As a (moderate) Buddhist myself, I was annoyed when seeing all those “confusing” statues 🙂 I think religious artworks should be done with care and respect.
Gorgeous photos LEN. This post brought back some wonderful memories – of climbing up to Samantabhadra, and of hiking to, and staying overnight at one of the smaller monasteries on Emei Shan and another night in a monastery at the base of the mountain as well as visiting the Leshan Buddha. It’s a fabulous part of China.
Alison
I remember reading about your hike (and admire your photos), Alison 🙂 Actually, it was one of the first posts that I’ve read on your blog. The hike was challenging but the view was rewarding, right?
My trip was not so lucky. I could not see anything from the cable car because of the fog. Only when I reached the summit, the sky was clear for a brief moment 🙁