15/10 Giant Buddha - Leshan

Saturday 15 October . . . . Leshan

Rapidly running out of China time. Found our way to bus station and they understood me when I asked for tickets to Leshan.  Set off on 2 hour bus trip past very productive farm land and tea plantations.  Bus 13 to the Buddha was awaiting us and we paid 1 yuan (15 cents) for quite a long trip through the city to the entrance.  Chris seemed very proud of the fact that he only had to pay senior rate.  Many stairs as we walked through the grounds.  Finally located the top of the Buddha.  He is 1,200 years old, stands 71m tall, ears are 7m tall, shoulders 28m span and his big toes are 8.5 m long.  The biggest Buddha in the world.  They tell you in Lonely Planet not to go on public holidays or weekends.  Today is Saturday and the place is packed.  In order to see him clearly you have to go down the ‘steep cliff road’.  Agreed with some trepidation to meet Chris at the giant bell, he had better be there! So I joined the 1,000 or more people in the sheep race which lasted for an hour and a half, only 5 white faces visible so trapped with the inevitable stares.

 Finally I got to descend the staircase with 150 others.  It immediately bottlenecked as everyone had to fit into a narrow staircase and await everyone snapping photos.  Slow going! He is impressive, conceived by Buddhist monk ‘Haitong’ in AD 713 in the hope that Buddha would calm the swift river and protect boatmen.  He was completed 90 years after Haitong’s death.  The staircase narrows to single steps and you pass various small depressions in the sides with Buddhist carvings.  Few moments staring up at him and taking photos and then up the narrow stairs on the other side. 

Actually found Chris where I agreed to meet him!! Just as well because I had no money and we were 3 hours by 3 buses from Chengdu. Very impressed with the Wuyou Temple, great architecture, hundreds of burning incense sticks and oil lamps, monks chanting in the temple at the rear.  Neat grounds with pagoda and various tea houses, bridges and caves.  Very interesting.

On the way down to the street, came across an extremely picturesque classically Chinese bridge, complete with clear reflection in a river. It was aching to be photographed. Young Chinese girl asked to pose for a snap with J. Li Ching. Later another young girl who was attached to a family with 2 young girls. At last, an opportunity to unload a pair of the clipon koalas from the $2 shop . . and didn’t the girls just love them!! Managed to catch the necessary buses and got back to Chengdu at 7. Stopped off at Dico’s chicken for very tasty meals. Then caught a 28 bus which, as we had hoped, took us right to the doorstep at Sim’s.  Chengdu looks very pretty at night, buildings and bridges lit.  We are really getting the hang of getting around now, beginning to recognise a few symbols and understand some of the quirks in the language; just in time to leave.

Cute baby with 4 pigtails.  Not many prams/strollers in China.  Babies carried in wicker baskets like this, with or without inbuilt seat, strapped to Mum's back by rope or carried in arms.