China Guide
Sichuan and Chongqing
Dafo
Opening time: May– Sept 7.30am–7.30pm; Oct– April 8am–6pm
Price: Dafo ¥70; entire site ¥110
Impassive and gargantuan, Dafo, the Great Buddha, peers out from under half-lidded eyes, oblivious to the sightseers swarming round his head, clambering over his toes and nearly capsizing their boats in their eagerness to photograph his bulk. Tang-dynasty Big Buddha carvings are pretty abundant in Sichuan, but none approaches Dafo's 71-metre height – this is the world's largest Buddhist sculpture. Statistics, however, can't convey the initial impression of this squat icon, comfortably seated with his hands on his knees, looming over you as the ferry nears.
The rough waters below the sandstone cliffs of Lingyun Shan had been a shipping hazard since before Qin times, but it wasn't until 713 AD that the monk Haitong came up with the idea of filling in the shoals with rubble produced by carving out a giant Buddha image. After Haitong blinded himself to convince corrupt officials to hand over funds, the project was overseen by various monks and finished in 803. Temples sprang up above the Buddha at Lingyun Shan and on adjacent Wuyou Shan, and today you can spend a good three hours walking between the sights.
The site can be accessed either from the north entrance or by ferry to Wuyou (¥30). At Wuyou, a steep staircase leads up to Wuyou Si, a monastery founded in 742 AD, whose halls occupy the top of Wuyou Shan. The monastery decorations are particularly good; look for the splendid gate guardians as you enter and the animated scenes from Journey to the West on the second hall (Xuan Zang being carried off by demons, Monkey leaping to the rescue).
An upper track leads to the terrace around the top of the Dafo himself. Elbowing your way through the throngs, you'll find yourself up against railings level with Dafo's ear, where you can watch lines descending the slippery Staircase of Nine Turns to his feet. You'll appreciate his scale here: Dafo's ears are 7m long, his eyes 10m wide, and six people at once can stand on his big toenail. Past here, the path descends to the north entranceand bus #8 back to Leshan.