The Maitreya stance depicts the future Buddha who is believed to appear on earth so as to preach the teachings of Buddhism when the teachings of Gautama Buddha have been forgotten. The statue is at the meeting point of three rivers namely the Min River, the Qingyi River, and the Dadu River. It also faces Mount Emei, both of which are designated UNESCO heritage sites. Legend has it that Hai Tong believed that creating a giant Buddha statue at the point where the three rivers converge would ensure that the water spirit which had caused many heartbreaking accidents to local villagers would be extinguished. Furthermore, the finding of Han-dynasty tomb compartments nearby also indicates that the area was sacred to the local community.
Most visitors are in awe of this giant Buddha statue which is also known as Dafo and is over 71 meters in height and its widest part is the shoulders with a length of 28 meters. One of the key secrets to its well preserved state is the installation of many drainage channels which are hidden in various places such as in the hair and ears of the statue and also the fact that villagers take a keen interest in the maintenance of such a centuries old statue.
Other aspects of interest to travellers include the Lingyun Temple Museum with displays containing details on the assembly and restoration of Dafo. A statue of Hai Tong is also seen in this vicinity. Wuyou Si, a monastery with pink walls is also worth a visit as it contains many traditional motifs and cravings depicting ancient folklore.
Visitors planning to visit the Giant Buddha of Leshan should stay at Sichuan hotels such as the Millennium Chengdu. This exceptional Chengdu hotel boasts of superb leisure and business facilities catering to all types of travellers.