Statistics body height: 71m; head height: 14.7m (with diameter 10m); no. of hair knots: 1021; ear length: 7m; nose length: 5.6m; eyebrow length: 5.6m; eye width: 3.3m; neck length: 3m; shoulder width: 28m; middle finger length: 8.3m; foot: 11m by 8.5m (enough for 100 people to sit on).

The Great Buddha is carved into the red sandstone of Mount Lingyun [凌云山] overlooking the treacherous confluence of the Min [岷江], Dadu [大渡河], and Qingyi [青衣江] rivers. At a height of 230-ft (71-m), it is the largest ancient stone-carved figure of Buddha in the world. In 713, just as the Tang dynasty was reaching its most brilliant High Tang era [盛唐], a monk named Haitong [海通法师] decided to safeguard passing boats by creating a massive protective figure of Buddha Maitreya [弥勒佛] -- the Buddha of the future -- in the cliffs. He was also practical enough to realize that the resultant rubble would fill in shoals of the uneven river bed, hence reducing boating accidents. Funds were raised by public subscriptions and regional goverment contributions. The project was finally finished in 803 after 90 years. To protect the sandstone Buddha from being disfigured by rain, the ancient people implemented a rather scientific drainage system over (and inside) the Buddha's body.

Viewed from the city side of the Min river, the Lingyun [凌云], Wuyou [乌尤], and Guicheng [龟城] hills form a gigantic sleeping buddha [卧佛] strectching more than 1,000 m with the merged Min river as its pillow and the Giant Buddha situated at its chest.

Chengdu-Leshan freeway [成乐高速]	the 1000m-plus-long "Sleeping Buddha" [卧佛] formed by (l to r) the Guicheng [龟城], Lingyun [凌云], Wuyou [乌尤] hills. A pagoda [灵宝塔] stands on the "Buddha's" belly.	closer look	high school buddy Jibin Zhou [周继斌], who runs a very successful car rental company in Chengdu.		merging of the three rivers: the Dadu [大渡河] (left above), the Qingyi [青衣] (right above), and the Min [岷江]
Fengzhou [凤洲岛] island marking the confluence	city of Leshan viewed from the Buddha side of the Min river	troubled water. “我家江水初发源，宦游直送江入海。闻道潮头一丈高，天寒尚有沙痕在。...” (苏轼)	Giant Buddha of Leshan (viewed on a ferry)		guarding figure flanking the Buddha
monk Haitong [海通法师] who masterminded the Buddha project that began in 713. The monk gorged his two eyes to prove his sincerity when threatened by a local official with blinding unless he could take a cut of the funds.	Pure Jade Pavilion [净玉亭] by the side of the Buddha's head	1,021 hair knots over the Buddha's head	Buddha seen from descending stone stairway	"me on Buddha's mind" (“我在佛心中”）:-)	another view after more descent
	at the feet of the Giant Buddha		with Jibin on a ferry to Mt. Wuyou [乌尤山], where the walk to the Giant Buddha began.	Mt. Wuyou	the other side of Mt. Wuyou
joint of the Wuyou [乌尤山] (left) and Lingyun [凌云山] (right) mountains	cliff with inscription "Pillar in the Middle of the River" [中流砥柱]		bamboo grove	hiking stairway
Wuyou Monastery [乌尤寺] from the Ming (1421-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties. It was first constructed in the Tang dynasty [618-907].	inside the monastery	Bell Pavilion	Drum Pavilion	poem and caligraphy by Su Shi [1037-1101], arguably the most well-rounded literati in Chinese history, who was a native to the area. 苏轼七古《送渊师归径山》和书法	ci (a variation in Chinese poetry) and caligraphy by Su Shi. 苏轼词和书法：《念奴娇·赤壁怀古》
inscribed writings by Guo Moro [郭沫若] (1892-1978), also a native to the region who was the most achieved Chinese poet in the twentieth century.	tombs over a cliff	Jibin walking along the riverside Lingyun Path [凌云栈道] along the face of Mt. Lingyun.	Lingyun Monastary [凌云寺] next to the Giant Budda

Yan-Bin Jia