A monk from the Tang Dynasty（618-907）realized that the river could flood and many people could die, managed to raise money to build this huge statue to save people’s lives. The construction has lasted for 90 years. The tall statue looks calm, peaceful and majestic. It is regarded as a world record-breaking masterpiece and is also the biggest stone crafted statue in the world. It is noted by the UN as one of the greatest legacies of ancient culture and natural landscape.
The Giant Buddha lies at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers. It faces the sacred Mount Emei (with which it shares its World Heritage status), with the rivers flowing below his feet.
At 71 metres (233 feet) tall, the statue depicts a seated Maitreya Buddha with his hands resting on his knees. His shoulders are twenty-eight meters 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.
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