Leshan Giant Buddha

I was up at dawn one more morning … and this time it paid off. I went across the river to see the Giant Buddha up close.

I got there right when it opened and had the place to myself - it was REALLY serene and peaceful … tho still had to go up and down HUNDREDS of steps. My legs are definitely getting stronger, but dang …

The Buddha is the largest “pre-modern stone Buddha” in the world. He stands around 235 ft. A man made it his life’s work & began carving it in 704 AD! He didn’t live to see it completed in 812 AD.

Where it’s located is a place where four rivers come together - and apparently the water there was treacherous. So .. he thought if he built the Buddha lives would be saved, as Buddha would watch over them. In the end, it worked - not because of magical powers but because they took the stone that was carved out and dumped it in the river. Eventually, that stone changed the trajectory of the river … boom, less deadly river.

I decided to walk to the pier - Apple Maps said it was about a mile thru the woods so why not. Figured it would be pretty. It was rough - lots of stairs. I finally made it to where Apple Maps said the pier was … and I was on the wrong side of a fence! The “right” side was another mile away. Sometimes things don’t go quite right.

What I miss: my car!

Steps: 18,883
Miles: 7.76Read more