The Leshan Giant Buddha is one of the must-see attractions when visiting Chengdu although it is located more than 2 hours away in the city of Leshan. Visitors have a choice of viewing the 233-ft stone carving from a built-in stairway in the mountain or riding a ferry, which is what we did. The ferry entrance is located far from the parking area but there are rickshaws that can take you there faster if you don’t want to walk. There were many local tourists on the day of our visit so the queue going to the ferry was quite long. The Giant Buddha stone carving is really huge up close, and it isn’t a surprise that it took 99 years to build. However, the once ferry passes the Buddha, it will immediately go back to the docking station to pick up more passengers so this tour was quite quick. If you come with a tour guide, he/she will be able to discuss the stone carving’s history, which is nothing short of fascinating. Very educational too, I must say.

Reviewed to: Chengdu Panda & Leshan Giant Buddha Day Tour