The Giant Buddah of Leshian

When the Giant Buddha was carved, a huge thirteen storey stone structure,was built to shelter it from rain and sunshine. This structure was destroyed and sacked by the Mongols during the wars at the end of the Yuan Dynasty.  As the biggest carved stone Buddha in the world, the Giant Buddha is featured in poetry, song and story. 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 . The stone sculpture faces Mount Emei, with the rivers flowing below his feet. It is the largest stone Buddha in the world and it is  the tallest pre-modern statue in the world.

The Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since December 1996.
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 hear