Leshan is located in the southwest of the Sichuan Basin, formerly known as Jiazhou. Its most famous landmark is the Leshan Giant Buddha—the world's largest stone-carved Maitreya Buddha statue, standing 71 meters tall. Carved during the Tang Dynasty over 90 years, it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
Other must-visit attractions: Mount Emei (one of China's Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains, the bodhimaṇḍa of Samantabhadra, about 30 km from downtown Leshan), Oriental Buddha Park (a modern stone-carved Buddha theme park), and the Jiayang Steam Train (a still-operating narrow-gauge steam train running through rapeseed flower fields).
Leshan is a birthplace of the "Upper River School" of Sichuan cuisine. Local delicacies like Bobo Chicken, Sweet-Skin Duck, Qiaojiao Beef, and Tofu Pudding are famous nationwide. Leshan is a candidate city for UNESCO's Creative City of Gastronomy.
