Enjoy Nature, Enjoy Yourself – Top Attractions in Leshan, China

Aug 26

Leshan, China is located at the confluence of the Min, Qingyi, and Dadu Rivers in the southwest of Sichuan’s basin

One of the world’s best landscapes is in the Sichuan province of China and at the top of this view is Jiazhou, the name for Leshan in ancient times. Even during this era, Leshan was a significant town in the region, as well as a stronghold for the historic Silk Road in southern China. Nurtured by 3000 years of history, Leshan’s miraculous nature remains rich in beautiful mountains, rivers, history, and culture.

As the featured destination and Official Event Partner of Virtual PATA Travel Mart 2021, we would like to guide you through some of the top attractions in Leshan, Sichuan, China - a city famously known for its natural and cultural heritage, contemporary attractions, and gastronomic delights.

Natural and Cultural Attractions

Mount Emei and the Mount Emei Scenic Area

Mount Emei is a well known tourist attraction located within the territory of Emeishan City, at the confluence of the Min, Dadu, and Qingyi Rivers. With a land area of 154 km² and the tallest peak of 3099 m, Mount Emei is famous for its magnificent natural landscape and profound Buddhist culture. Many have proclaimed the site as ‘the best view below the heavens.’

Mount Emei, including the Mount Emei Scenic Area, has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996 and was granted the AAAAA (5A) Tourist Attractions status by China - the highest possible rating. For thousands of years, Mount Emei has been a pilgrimage destination for monks and others seeking enlightenment, complete with singing in Sanskrit and the use of fragrant incense.

Throughout many Chinese dynasties, scholars have dedicated their work to Mount Emei. For instance, Li Bai, a poet from the Tang Dynasty, shared its praises in a poem, “There are many heavenly mountains in Shu State, but Mount Emei is insurmountably the best.” Guo Moruo, a contemporary Chinese master in literature, has continuously named Mount Emei ‘The Best Mountain in the World.’

The Ten-Direction Samantabhadra at Mount Emei’s Golden Summit

At the Golden Summit, four wonders can be simultaneously appreciated: the sunrise, the sea of clouds, Buddha’s Light, and the Holy Light. The Buddhist culture is visibly reflected through the Golden Shrine, the Bronze Shrine of Huazang Temple, the Silver Shrine of Woyun nunnery, and the Ten-Direction Samantabhadra, a 48 m tall statue made with 600 tonnes of gilded bronze.

The ten directions of this statue refer to the ten practices and vows of Samantabhadra, as well as the ten possible directions (north, south, west, east, northwest, northeast, southwest, southeast, up and down). This implies that all living beings, regardless of their location, are covered by Samantabhadra’s practices and vows.

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Leshan Giant Buddha at the Mount Emei Scenic Area

Key highlights of the Mount Emei Scenic Area include the Leshan Giant Buddha, Lingyun Mountain, Wuyou Mountain, Giant Sleeping Buddha, and the Mahao Cave Tomb. At 71 meters tall, the Leshan Giant Buddha is the world’s largest and tallest stone Buddha statue. Depicted as a sitting Maitreya figure, it is located in the heart of the Giant Sleeping Buddha, implying that there is a Buddha in everyone’s heart.

The Leshan Giant Buddha has been a must-see for scholars and artists in China because of its wonderful natural scenery and great cultural value. Su Dongpo, a poet from the Song Dynasty, once wrote, “I have no aim for higher position or desire to make the acquaintance of Han Chaozong, but wish to find a position in Jiazhou, and have a trip to Lingyun Mountain while carrying wine from time to time.”

Dongfeng Weir (The Thousand Buddha Cliff)

Located 3 km from Jiajiang County, Sichuan Province is Dongfeng Weir, the Thousand Buddha Cliff. The scenic attraction is situated on the bank of Qingyi River, where a river passes between two mountains that face each other. There are more than 2400 stone-carved statues sitting in 162 caves, accompanied by ancient inscriptions. Dating back to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Dongfeng Weir is a nationally protected cultural relic.

A 400 m weir (small dam) was constructed at this site during the Qing Dynasty to prevent damage to the statues. Having been used for over 350 years, the system is still in use today and irrigates more than 70,000 mou (46,655 km²) of farmland in Jiajiang County. It has comprehensive flood control functions, power generation, and urban environmental protection for the industrial water supply, making the Dongfeng Weir a valued cultural inheritance that continues to empower local people.

Contemporary Attractions

Night Cruise on the Three Rivers

The Night Cruise on the Three Rivers is a popular attraction that travels through the Minjiang, Qinyi, and Dadu Rivers. It is the first large-scale nighttime tourism project in Leshan, as well as the largest single nighttime tourism project in Sichuan Province. Step-by-step, it unveils the Leshan Giant Buddha and showcases the magnificent ancient city of Jiazhou through visual and auditory interpretations through light and sound.

There are night landscapes built along the river, including the Zen City, Traditional Chinese Painting Landscape, Five Colored Buddha Light, Buddha in Heart, Sleeping Buddha Waking Up, the Millennium Ancient Buddha Reading Road, and the Giant Buddha Scenic Area in Lingyun Mountain. Together, they were awarded as one of the Top Ten Cultural Tourism Landmarks in Sichuan.

View of the Night Cruise on the Three Rivers

The cruise through the landscapes tells a story of the time-nurtured city and its journey through different dynasties, slowly improving with developments. Its ancient city walls are linked together in both light and shadow like golden ties on the clear water. The buildings and lights standing by the river reflect the magnificent, simple outline of vicissitudes of this ancient city over time.

Unique Mount Emei Drama Fantasy City

Located in Emeishan City of Sichuan Province, the Unique Mount Emei Drama Fantasy City is a large-scale experience drama, masterminded and presented by Wang Chaoge, a famous Chinese director. The immersive time-shifting experience reunites audience members with dreamlike scenes that have long been in their memories. The interlaced drama and moving story scenes have been known to bring sincere laughter and heartfelt tears. In the soul-searching visual impact, many have found themselves and regained their hearts.

The Unique Mount Emei Drama Fantasy City is composed of three major parts. The Theater Above the Clouds overlooks the earthly world, similar to how the Golden Summit of Mount Emei would look down through the clouds at the rest of the world. Meanwhile, The Theater in the Clouds evokes a feeling of walking through clouds in a fantasy land.

Renovated from old village houses, The Theater Below the Clouds is an earthly world that tells a story of time and space. Audience members first enter the earthly world before climbing to the heavens, where they can experience the spiritual realm in the clouds as they reach the summit.

Moruo Drama Cultural and Creative Park

Sitting against the Sui Mountain and facing the Dadu River, Leshan’s Shawan District is named after the famous mountain and beautiful river that it boasts. It was also once the home of Guo Moruo, the first President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. A prolific writer and acclaimed cultural master, Moruo’s cultural spirit has been passed down from generation to generation in this river town.

More than 100 years later, the Moruo Drama Cultural and Creative Park was born on the bank of the Dadu River, breathing new life into the town. It is located in the first section of the Yunnan-Sichuan National Tourist Scenic Road and is made up of 12 pavilions, each with its own special theme. The design inspiration of Moruo Theater comes from the age-old red star stones lying quietly by the Dadu River. This colour also symbolises Moruo's writing enthusiasm and revolutionary spirit.

Gastronomic Delights

Local Delicacies

In addition to its beautiful scenery, Leshan is also known for its delicious foods. In addition to the distinctive style of Sichuan cuisine, the unique spicy and fragrant flavours of its local delicacies and snacks have helped the city earn a great foodie reputation. Dishes like qiaojiao beef, bobo spicy chicken, sweet skin duck, spicy hot pot, tofu jelly, and barbecue are very popular, resulting in many culinary visitors to Leshan.

Among them, the time-honored qiaojiao beef is an intangible cultural heritage of Leshan. Different cuts of beef are served in a slow-cooked beef broth, alongside seasonal greens and spicy dipping sauce. The bright colours, delicious aromas, and unique flavours are guaranteed to be pleasing for your eye, nose, and palate.

Bobo spicy chicken is also a very popular local snack due to its distinct flavour. Cooked on the skewer, it is soaked in a spicy sauce and served in a big earthen bowl. Pair it with your choice of meats and vegetables!

Featuring a golden red colour and cooking techniques passed down from the Qing Dynasty, Leshan’s sweet skin duck is a great option for those who prefer non-spicy food. Its crispy and slightly sweet skin, delicate meat, and pleasing aromas are a great contender to the world renowned Beijing roast duck (Peking duck).

Food Destinations

As night falls, the Shangzhongshun Cultural Arcade near the Leshan Port lights up and is bustled with crowds of avid diners. Strolling along the old street lined with antique houses with flying eaves and archaistic decorations, it is easy to feel the ancient rhymes of the centuries-old streets. Their different time-honoured restaurants are scattered across the area, offering signature dishes like sweet water noodles, bobo spicy chicken, qiaojiao beef, sweet skin duck, and spicy hot pot to the diners coming from home and abroad.

Old Hong Kong style signboards and colorful shining neon lights are dotted with trending elements beyond imagination, attracting a wave of fans, most of whom simply come for a bite of the local delicacy that they dream of. Walking leisurely on the riverside square and overlooking the sleeping Buddha in the distance, visitors can enjoy the unique night view of the three rivers quietly flowing by. It is here that the classic and modern elements collide and blend, resulting in a unique experience that cannot be enjoyed anywhere else.

Leshan’s Leshan Flavour Immersive Experience Center

At the heart of the Shangzhongshun Cultural Arcade is the Leshan Flavour Immersive Experience Center. It explores the city’s past and present food resources by taking inspiration from fresh, sweet, hot, and spicy flavours of local foods and presenting them as immersive food scenes for visitors to experience. Through combining virtual and real multimedia technologies with interactive plots and dance performances, the experience allows visitors to personalise and take home a piece of Leshan’s history, culture, and gastronomy.

Craving a visit to Leshan, Sichuan, China? Be sure to sign up for Virtual PATA Travel Mart 2021 from Sep 2 - 5, 2021 to learn more about the destination and join a 360-degree live streamed view of Leshan’s Sichuan International Travel Expo!

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