Leshan Giant Buddha.

Carved directly into a red sandstone cliff during the Tang dynasty, the 71-meter-tall Leshan Giant Buddha sits at the turbulent confluence of the Min, Qingyi, and Dadu rivers. Initiated by a monk in 713 to calm the treacherous waters, this massive Maitreya Buddha took 90 years to complete, with the displaced stone successfully altering the river currents. To fully grasp its scale, visitors can climb the steep, narrow staircases that hug the cliffside, leading from the giant ears down to the massive feet. Alternatively, taking a river ferry offers the best head-on vantage point of the entire monument and the two guardian figures carved alongside it. Beyond the colossus, the wooded park features the historic Lingyun Temple, smaller cliffside shrines, and the Haoshang Bridge.