If you’re traveling through China’s Sichuan Province, add Leshan to your agenda!
Just an hour from Chengdu by train, Leshan is known for being home to the largest stone-carved Buddha in the world. Carved into a cliff face in the late 700’s and looking out over the Minjiang & Dadu Rivers, a visit to the Leshan Giant Buddha is worth the trip. Yet, that’s not the only reason to visit. For my Sichuan-flavor loving friends out there, take a few hours to explore the city, and your taste buds won’t regret it!
Follow this guide to Leshan to plan your next visit, without the tour bus!
Leshan Giant Buddha
First, the Leshan Giant Buddha. Once you’re in Leshan, there are a few ways to get to the Buddha, including via public transit or taxi. Since the Buddha is across the river from main Leshan City, walking is not a viable option. (A taxi will take you about 20 minutes from city center.)
Start at the Top of the Buddha's Head
Tickets to see the Buddha cost ¥90, and they can be picked up right at the entrance. At over 230 feet (71 meters) tall, it is truly giant! And the first thing that will greet you will be the 18 layers of spiral coils topping the Buddha’s head and an incredible view of Buddha’s profile. The sheer size of the carving is breathtaking, and you’ll feel dwarfed even by the size of his ear alone! Take time to appreciate the view from the top of the Buddha, looking out over the river and down onto the magnificent site you’re about to descend. To fully appreciate the magnitude of the carving, you’ll climb down stairs along the cliffside, ending by the Buddha’s feet and the riverbank.
Notes:
You may experience long lines and a wait. I visited on a weekday in June, and luckily there was no queue at all. But, many reviews I read warned of a substantial wait time.
After descending along the Buddha, you will have climb back up to exit or head to the scenic area. This may be difficult for visitors with physical limitations.
Join in for selfie-central with Buddha’s big toe, and don’t worry that you haven’t gotten that perfect head-on shot. They will be another opportunity! If the weather is nice, spend some time walking around the Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area to visit a few temples or even bring a picnic.
Tip: Either eat BEFORE getting to the Buddha or bring lunch. There is plenty of good food in Leshan, but in my experience it is not located here!
River Cruise Photo-Op
To get the full head-on, panoramic photos of the Giant Buddha you see here, take the short river cruise which will bring you right in front of the cliff face for the perfect shot.
Just a few minute walk north of the Buddha, for about ¥90 hop on a river cruise from Baxiandong Pier. The cruise will head south, passing by the Buddha, and then turn around, stopping right in front of the Buddha for plenty of photo taking. About 30 minutes all together, this is a fun way to see the Buddha from a new vantage point.
What's next on your visit to Leshan?
Now that you’ve paid the Buddha a visit, some folks will head back to Chengdu or on to your next destination. However, I recommend spending the night in Leshan to take advantage of the local food scene!
Let’s head back back across the river to Leshan’s city center.
To really get a feel for the city’s nightlife, head to Zhanggongqiao Jie (张公桥街) for dinner.
One of my all-time favorite meals in China was trying chuan chuan, the local version of malatang, where skewers of meat, tofu and vegetables are cooked in a spicy soup broth right at your table.
First, head inside to choose the items you want, and don’t worry about keeping track. You’ll be charged at the end by the amount of skewers you have at the table, with item cost associated with skewer length! Mala sauce is flavored with a combination of Sichuan pepper and dried chili peppers. Málà (麻辣) refers to the tinglingly, hot sensation your mouth with experience while eating.
If you’re looking for more spice, the meal also comes with fresh herbs, chili oil, garlic and peanuts!
Have a few extra hours in Leshan and wondering what else to check out?
Tea houses – Leshan is full of tea houses, especially along the river. Order a hot drink and settle in for a few hours with a good book. Note that many tea houses allow indoor smoking, so if possible I recommend sitting outside.
Join locals for a walk along the western bank of the Minjiang River – In the early evening you’ll see groups of folks out for a stroll, fishing or even group exercise dances!
Where to stay on your visit to Leshan
For convenience and proximity to the Giant Buddha and Zhanggongqiao Jie, I recommend staying east of Haitang Park. I stayed north of the Park at the Holiday Inn Express. The room was great, and breakfast was included, but it was a bit too far north. I found Agoda to have many options for easy booking.
TIP: If you’re sensitive to cigarette smoke, make sure to request a non-smoking room.
How to get to Leshan from Chendgu
Depending on your time and confidence navigating yourself through Mainland China, there are multiple ways to get to Leshan. If you’re staying in Chengdu, you can easily book a day trip to Leshan through Viator or stop by a Chengdu Scenic Shuttlebus kiosk to book tickets. Read my guides on top things to do in Chengdu, including visiting pandas and watching Sichuan opera! Chengdu is also the heart of Sichuan cuisine with many incredible dishes to try: hot chili oil wontons, hot pot & more!
Just an hour by train, I recommend getting a bit off the tourist track, going without a guide and staying a night! Booking train tickets through CTrip is super easy, and it cost me ~$21 USD for a one-way ticket for two people. You can also purchase tickets at the train station. (If you’re new to traveling in China, check out my earlier post here on tips for taking the train and preparing for your visit!)
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Do you have other places to recommend in Leshan?
If so, please help make this post even more informative and share in the comments below!
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Literally the best thing to do in China! We loved visiting the Leshan Buddha and this is such a great guide! We visited the Buddha as a day trip from Chengdu; we actually were able to hire a driver to take us to the pandas in the morning then straight to the Buddha for the afternoon. It was a super long day but was amazing; I think we were charged around 700 baht with a private driver arranged by the hotel but that included entrance fees for both places.
I am so happy to hear that others loved visiting Leshan, too! We were only in China for two weeks, and I am so glad we decided to make time in the agenda to visit the Giant Buddha! It’s also great for visitors who are new to China because it is an easy destination to get to from Chengdu, but still gets out of the top tourist cities. Next time I want to go back and climb Emeishan! Please share if there are other places in China you recommend!
This is the first time I hear about Leshan, to be honest, I don’t know much about China. I love learning about new place so thanks for sharing. I am so impressed by this giant Buddha. The skills of the people who carved it, impressive! I would love to go there, especially since it’s a UNESCO site.
Great article. I love that you acknowledge the popular tourist attraction, but covered other reasons to visit.
This is such a different type of experience. That Buddha is TREMENDOUS. Just glancing at it through pics, I would have never guessed you could get a little tour of it and get all the way by the head, that is so cool. All of these food pics are making me a little hungry now too 😛
I’ve always wanted to see the giant Buddha! I’m really not good at physical adventures, so it was good to note that once you get to the bottom of the giant Buddha – you have to climb back up to exit. Knowing things like this in advance helps me prepare, if I found that out on the spot I would be livid haha! This is the first time I’ve heard of chuan chuan, it reminds me a lot of pinchos! I’ve got to try this, adding it to my bucket list. I wonder if there is anywhere in the states that offers chuan chuan while we eagerly await international travel?? I genuinely would want to visit Leshan, what an awesome post!
Those are 3 great come-on’s. It’s only an hour from Chengdu, that giant Buddha is spectacular, and Schizuan food is great!!!
Carol – I completely agree! I am still dreaming of the food.
What an incredible carving! I can’t get over how huge it is. Nice to read about a city I’ve never heard of before.
Thanks, Shannon! It really is incredible, especially standing next to it and being even smaller than his head!