LESHAN SITES DRAW CROWDS
Leshan, a city in southwest Sichuan province, is worth a try for both its natural scenery and historical architecture.
The city was an important point along the South Silk Road 2,000 years ago. Buddhism was introduced into Leshan via the route.
The first temple of Mount Emei, about 37 kilometers away from downtown Leshan, was built in the first century AD, marking the beginning of the city becoming an eastern holy land of Buddhism.
People in Leshan started to carve an unprecedented, huge Buddha statute in 713. It took 90 years to complete the 71-meter-tall stone effigy.
Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area, was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. The Dongfeng Weir, which dates back more than 350 years, was included on the list of Heritage Irrigation Structures in 2014. Since then, Leshan has become the only city in China to boast three world heritage sites.
Li Bai, a Chinese poet in the Tang Dynasty (618907), was inspired by the moon above Mount Emei.
Emei martial arts originated from the mountain, one of the four Buddhism mountains in China.
Other top destinations in Leshan include the Heizhugou National Forest Park scenic area and Jinkou Grand Canyon, one of China’s most beautiful gorges. A railway where old steam trains still run also draws attention from travelers.
The city is the permanent venue for hosting the Sichuan International Travel Expo. The event focuses on displays, trade and forums. It aims to offer platforms for tourism communication and cooperation, negotiation, trade in tourism products and services, and mountain tourism exhibitions and sales.
The fourth expo will kick off on Sept 17 and end on Sept 24. The main activities will include an opening ceremony, business negotiations, tourism vocational communication among young students, sales exhibitions and the promotion of Leshan’s tourism projects.