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Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area
Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	People's Republic of China
Type	Mixed
Criteria	iv, vi, x
Reference	779
Region**	Asia-Pacific
	Inscription history
Inscription	1996 (20th Session)
	* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List.; ** Region as classified by UNESCO.

The Leshan Giant Buddha (simplified Chinese: 乐山大佛; traditional Chinese: 樂山大佛; pinyin: Lèshān Dàfó) was built during the Tang Dynasty (618–907). It is carved out of a cliff face that lies at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers in the southern part of Sichuan province in China, near the city of Leshan. The stone sculpture faces Mount Emei, with the rivers flowing below his feet. It is the largest carved stone Buddha in the world.^[1]

The Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. It was not damaged by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.^[2]

[edit] History

Construction was started in 713, led by a Chinese monk named Haithong. He hoped that the Buddha would calm the turbulent waters that plagued the shipping vessels travelling 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.

Head of the statue, comparing in size to a spectator in the background.

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.

[edit] Degradation

The Leshan Buddha has fallen victim to the pollution emanating from the unbridled development in the region. According to Xinhua news agency: "The Leshan Buddha and many Chinese natural and cultural heritage sites have succumbed to weathering, air pollution, inadequate protection and negative influences brought by swarms of tourists." The local government has shut factories and power plants close to the statue. However, the statue is already suffering a "blackened nose" and smears of dirt across the face. The government has promised to give restoration to the site.^[3]

The main problem however is not the soot but the effect of acid rain on the stone surface. The Buddha's face is said to have marks that now look as if it is crying, an effect of the erosion from the acid rain. Although there was a multi-million dollar restoration project in 2001, by 2007 the face had returned to its original deteriorated state.

[edit] Dimensions

At 71 metres (233 feet) tall, the statue depicts a seated Maitreya Buddha with his hands resting on his knees. His shoulders are 28 metres wide and his smallest toenail is large enough to easily accommodate a seated person. There is a local saying: "The mountain is a Buddha and the Buddha is a mountain". This is partially because the mountain range in which the Leshan Giant Buddha is located is thought to be shaped like a slumbering Buddha when seen from the river, with the Leshan Giant Buddha as its heart.

[edit] Gallery

The Buddha seen from the water	The head of the Buddha	Leshan Buddha seen from ground level	The Giant Buddha seen from above
Giant Buddha seen from stairs	Foot, toes, and toe nails	The entrance to scenic spot