Overview
Sichuan's two great Buddhist sites in two days, with an overnight on the mountain so you get the sunrise that day-trippers miss.
Leshan comes first: a 71-metre Buddha carved out of a red sandstone cliff at the confluence of three rivers, begun in 713 AD by the monk Haitong and completed ninety years later. You can descend the staircase beside the figure from head to foot, or take the river cruise that shows you the whole thing from the water in fifteen minutes.
Mount Emei follows. One of the four sacred Buddhist mountains of China, it rises to 3,099 metres and holds dozens of monasteries on its slopes, including Baoguo Temple at the foot and the Golden Summit complex at the top, where a 48-metre statue of Samantabhadra stands above a cloud sea. Staying the night up top puts you there for sunrise and again for the light on the peaks — the reason to do this as two days rather than one.
Expect a fair amount of walking on stone steps, particularly on day two. The cable cars take most of the strain out of it.
- Leshan Giant Buddha — the largest stone-carved Buddha in the world at 71 metres
- Descending the cliff staircase from the Buddha's head to its feet
- Baoguo Temple, the largest monastery at the foot of Mount Emei
- Golden Summit at 3,077 m with the 48-metre Samantabhadra statue
- Sunrise above the sea of clouds from the summit
- Wild Tibetan macaques on the mountain paths (keep your food hidden)
Itinerary
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1 Chengdu to Leshan, then Ascending Mount Emei
Lunch, Dinner Mount Emei, 3-star hotel or guesthouse07:30 - Departure: A two-hour drive southwest from Chengdu to Leshan.
09:30 - Leshan Giant Buddha: Begun in 713 AD by the monk Haitong, who is said to have gouged out his own eyes to stop corrupt officials seizing the project's funds, and completed ninety years later by his successors. The figure is 71 metres tall, seated, with shoulders 28 metres wide and — the detail that stays with people — ears 7 metres long carved from separate blocks of stone. A drainage system hidden inside the head and body has kept it largely intact for twelve centuries.
10:00 - The descent: A staircase cut into the cliff beside the figure takes you from the head down to the feet in around twenty minutes, with the river below you and the toes of the Buddha big enough to seat a hundred people. It is narrow and can be crowded; there is a viewing platform at the top for anyone who prefers to skip it. The alternative is the river cruise, which gives you the whole figure in profile from the water and takes about fifteen minutes.
12:30 - Lunch: In Leshan. The city's own specialities are worth seeking out — sweet-skin duck, tofu pudding with a chilli-and-Sichuan-pepper dressing, and the barbecue stalls along the riverside.
14:00 - Baoguo Temple: A 40-minute drive to the foot of Mount Emei, where Baoguo Temple stands — the largest monastery on the mountain, founded in the 16th century, set among old trees with a bronze bell and a 7-metre Buddha in the main hall.
16:00 - Ascent: We take the park shuttle up to the Leidongping bus terminus at 2,430 metres, then walk the last 1.5 kilometres to the Jieyin Palace cable car, which climbs to the summit area at 3,077 metres.
17:30 - Golden Summit: Check in, then walk up to the summit complex in time for the light. The 48-metre, ten-faced statue of Samantabhadra stands on the ridge, and below it the cloud fills the valleys — on a clear evening you can watch the sun go down with cloud beneath you and peaks on every side.
19:00 - Dinner at the summit hotel, and an early night. Sunrise is before six.
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2 Golden Summit Sunrise & Return to Chengdu
Breakfast Not included05:45 - Sunrise: Weather permitting. From the summit terrace, the sun comes up over a cloud sea with the high peaks standing out of it, and if you are lucky you see the so-called Buddhist light — your own shadow projected onto the cloud with a halo around it, an optical effect that has been described by pilgrims here for more than a thousand years. It happens on a minority of mornings, and your guide will tell you honestly whether the conditions are right.
07:00 - Breakfast at the hotel.
08:00 - Wanfo Summit: A short, level walk south along the ridge to the Ten Thousand Buddha Peak at 3,099 metres, the highest point on the mountain, with a small temple at the top and the longest views in any direction.
09:30 - Descent: Cable car back to the Leidongping terminus, then the shuttle down to the park entrance.
12:00 - Lunch: At the foot of the mountain, or in Emeishan town.
13:30 - Monkey area: If the group wants it, a stop at the Qingyin Pavilion area, where the Tibetan macaques come down to the path. They are bold, they are fast, and they will take anything you are carrying that looks like food. Keep bags closed and do not hold anything in your hands — your guide will brief you before you get out of the vehicle.
15:00 - Return: The drive back to Chengdu, around two and a half hours, arriving around 17:30.
Practical note: The summit is at 3,077 metres and is genuinely cold, even in summer. Bring a warm layer and gloves for the sunrise, whatever the temperature is in Chengdu.
Gallery
What's included
- 1 night at a 3-star hotel or monastery guesthouse on Mount Emei
- Daily breakfast plus 1 lunch and 1 dinner on the mountain
- English-speaking guide throughout
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver
- Leshan Giant Buddha entrance fee and Mount Emei entrance fee
- Mount Emei round-trip cable car and internal shuttle bus
- Chengdu hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Bottled water and trekking poles
Not included
- Flights and trains to and from Chengdu
- Most dinners and all alcoholic drinks
- Travel insurance and personal expenses
- Tips for guide and driver
- Optional Leshan river cruise
- Single-room supplement on the mountain
