RTW: p45c - Chengdu, Grand Buddha

Another road trip, off to see the Leshan Giant Buddga! This is the World’s Largest stone Buddha statue, and was carved into the side of a cliff in the Tang Dynasty, with the intention to calm surrounding waters that terrorized passing boats. It took almost 100 years to be completed! Apparently the monk who began the project gouged out one of his own eyes when the projects funding was threatened, AND because of all the rock mass moved around it actually DID alter the currents and make it safer for boats! And now you can actually go on tourist boats which sit directly in front of the statue on the water, calmly, letting you see it in full glory.

This thing is seriously huge, you start at the top and you can walk down stairs on the side to the bottom, his toe is the size of me.
The walk back up is via stone carved steps into the cliff. Amazing what you can accomplish with man power and time