Leshan Giant Buddha

The Leshan Giant Buddha is a colossal seated figure of Maitreya (the Future Buddha) carved directly from the red sandstone face of Lingyun Hill at the confluence of the Min, Dadu, and Qingyi rivers in Sichuan province. Standing 71 metres tall — taller than the Statue of Liberty from base to torch — it is the largest pre-modern stone Buddha in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Construction began in 713 AD under the Tang Dynasty monk Haitong, who believed the Buddha's presence would calm the turbulent waters that were sinking boats and drowning boatmen at the treacherous confluence below. The project took 90 years to complete, finishing in 803 AD under a different monk using government funding. A sophisticated internal drainage system of channels and gutters hidden behind the ears, in the hair, and along the robes has preserved the sculpture from water damage for 1,200 years. The Buddha's fingernails alone are 8.3 metres long; 100 people could sit on each foot. Best viewed from the river by tourist boat for the full frontal perspective, or descended on foot via steep staircases cut into the cliff face on either side.