Leshan - Great Buddha of Leshan

(Local Name: Dafo) This colossal stone statue of Maitreya is to be seen in Leshan. 71m/230ft high, it was carved out of the bare rock. A Buddhist monk by the name of Haitong was the first to work on it, from 713 until his death. After that a number of other monks and artists continued the mammoth task until it was eventually completed in 803. The figure is the largest sculpture of the Buddha to be found anywhere in the world.