Leshan Dafo, also known as the Leshan Giant Buddha, is one of the world's largest stone statues of the Buddha. It is carved into the cliff face and is 71 meters tall. The statue was conceived by a monk named Hai Tong and was placed at the intersection of three raging rivers: the Min River, the Qingyi River, and the Dadu River. Construction of the statue started in 713AD and took approximately 90 years to complete. The Leshan Giant Buddha was built to protect the boaters who were on these three treacherous rivers.

        The area surrounding the Leshan Giant Buddha is also littered with temples and a boat tour is available so you can get a great view of the entire Buddha on the river. It is easily accessible from either the city of Chengdu or the Mount Emei area.