James Elizondo from the United States is a travel expert and amateur photographer. He says the Giant Buddha at Leshan made him feel peace and tranquility.
James Elizondo from the United States is a travel expert and amateur photographer. He says the Giant Buddha at Leshan made him feel peace and tranquility.
During my trip to China we decided to visit the Giant Buddha in Leshan, Sichuan Province. We drove 13 hours to see Leshan Giant Buddha so the anticipation was high getting there.
Giant Buddha in Leshan, Sichuan Province [Photo: provided to China.org.cn by James Elizondo]We arrived at 04:00 pm and the park closes at 06:00 pm so we only had 2 hours to see the Giant Buddha. It was a 40-minute walk to reach the top to the Giant Buddha and on the way we passed up so many beautiful statues and marvelous sites. I pictured and recorded everything with my Nikon and Gopro camera. When we finally reached the top you could see the Giant Buddha head. I was shocked at the size of the upper body. When I looked over the edge of the cliff it was amazing how big the statue was. I could see people at the bottom and looked so small like ants. The view was breathtaking and I felt a sense of peace or tranquility. There was definitely an aura of peace which is perfect for those wanting to pray or meditate. How did they build this without any cranes and electric machinery?
Giant Buddha in Leshan, Sichuan Province [Photo: provided to China.org.cn by James Elizondo] The view of the lake or river across the Giant Buddha was also breathtaking. It almost reminded me of the actor and movie Harrison Ford from Indiana Jones, this is a place Indiana Jones would visit. This place is so historic because you don’t find many places like this earth that is 1,300-year-old that’s well kept. I could never see anything like this in the United States. The United States has only 300 years of history but this statue was over a thousand years old!
Giant Buddha in Leshan, Sichuan Province [Photo: provided to China.org.cn by James Elizondo]The magnitude of Buddhism can be felt throughout the journey. The Buddha was quite spectacular. There is a Great monastery and temple at the top. There are also temples and gardens but the Buddha alone is already worth paying to see. The Buddha is the most impressive sculpture I’ve ever seen. This is one of the best highlights of my trip to China.
Giant Buddha in Leshan, Sichuan Province [Photo: provided to China.org.cn by James Elizondo]