years before I have drifted
over and over again to China
this was already in my wish-list
as I was scrolling the map
that seemed far away
I will leave it until the end of the post
how does it feel to be on
this sort-of-like
dream-come-true excursion
technically speaking
LeShan is a city on its own
and is not part of Chengdu
but since it’s only 2 hours away
it’s usually in the Chengdu itinerary
if that’s the case
Mount Emei(峨眉山), 30km away
will be on the list too
similar to the other
main attraction nearby Chengdu, i.e.
Mt. Qing Cheng(青城山) and Dujiang Yan(都江堰)
Mt. Emei and Leshan Giant Buddha are
jointly declared as an
UNESCO World Heritage site
and bingo the other similarity being
the flood prevention function shared by
Dujiang Yan and LeShan Buddha
from the main entrance
a 20-minute walk up the hill
along the way there were loads tour groups
either to overtake or
just go slow and free-ride on the guide service
I did both, in between
along the way
these were within touch
wouldn’t that be kinda risky
some jokers can’t resist vandalism
and there you are
next to the Giant Buddha
there stands the temple,
Lingyun Temple(凌雲寺)
nothing quite ancient about it
years of under-maintenance and
especially after the 2008 major earthquake
therefore everything is quite brand new
despite being pretty new
the work is of the finest standard
to the finest details
more walking-about
on the other higher side
before descending the staircase
this was considered a non-peak season
judging from the stand-by queue barriers
which go round-and-round and
the queue-time signboards
eg: you are 2 hours away..
I can kinda imagine the crowd
on a busy day
the entire project took around 30 years
involving 3 generations of people
the statute is Master Hai Tong(海通大師）
who initiated the project and
he actually blinded both his eyes
to shoo away local officers were
trying to take advantage
Can you see those holes on the wall
there are actually some saying that
those were to support pillars
in other words, the Giant Buddha was
sheltered by some form of construction
which was burnt down due to fire
i.e. imagine it as a sheltered statute
just like a temple
that’s one
secondly,
it was rumored that
there is actually plan to
(re)build the shelter in order to
protect the Giant Buddha
therefore after a couple of years
the Giant Buddha will no longer be
visible as it, right now
those fingers are simple real
tips to save some walking & time
the entire walking trip goes this way
1. from the North Gate climb the hill
2. on top of the hill, Buddha’s head
3. go down the ladder by the cliff
4. end up at Buddha’s “feet”
5. climb the hill on the other side
6. end up on top of the hill, again
7. go down and exit via East Gate
as you realize, #2 and 6#
are actually the same spot
if you are in a hurry or
just to save some walking
may choose to skip #3-#7 and
after seeing the Buddha
from top at #2
proceed to exit via #7
will not miss much actually
that’s one
another even lazier one is
to catch a ferry side from
the other side of the bank
the ferry ride is even cheaper than
paying entrance ticket too
and the ferry would stop for couple of minutes
for passengers to snap photos
I am not sure how true that is
and that offers the most
strategic position to pose for a picture
with the complete head-to-toe Buddha
post-visit
yes.. the wish is quite fulfilled
I would say
yet…
but never have I imagined
the Buddha is overlooking at this one
what I had in mind was some
pristine jungle and crystal-clear water
no offence, frankly speaking
neither do I expect to be greeted by this
I link the Giant Buddha to some
adventurous hike through pristine jungle
again.. no offence
when reality falls apart from imagination
all you can do is
appreciate what is right in front of you
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