The next morning we packed up once again & this time boarded a private bus out to Leshan to see the Giant Buddha before heading to the Bagaou Monsatery at Mt Emei for the evening. The Giant Buddha is this really enormous stone statue - I believe the biggest stone Buddha in the world - carved in to the side of this cliff. Ages ago (not sure how long ago exactly), this monk wanted to protect the surrounding villages from the flooding that caused loss of lives & homes. He offered to begin a project to carve the giant Buddha, & it was agreed by the village people. But at the time of his death, he had only completed the head. The villagers committed to completing the Buddha & they finished off the statue which overlooks the merging of two giant rivers. The grounds of the Giant Buddha are superb with lots of tranquil nooks & crannies to explore.
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