Mount Emei & Leshan

A dual World Heritage site: sunrise and sea of clouds at Emei's Golden Summit and its monkey zone, plus the Leshan Giant Buddha with beef in spicy broth and bobo chicken, the classic route from Chengdu.

Mount Emei and the Leshan Giant Buddha both lie in Leshan, Sichuan, about 150 km southwest of Chengdu. In 1996 they were inscribed as a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage site under the name "Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area," making this the classic two-day route from Chengdu. Mount Emei is one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China (the seat of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra). Its main peak, Wanfo Ding, reaches 3,099 m, and the Golden Summit where visitors arrive is at 3,077 m. From Baoguo Temple at the foot (about 550 m) to the Golden Summit is a vertical drop of over 2,500 m, with a full vegetation range from low-altitude evergreen broadleaf forest to alpine fir. On the mountain are temples such as Baoguo, Fuhu, Wannian, Qingyin Pavilion and Xixiangchi (Elephant Bathing Pool), as well as an ecological zone with wild Tibetan macaques. The Leshan Giant Buddha is carved into the cliff of Lingyun Mountain at the confluence of the Minjiang, Qingyi and Dadu rivers in Leshan city. Carved in the Tang dynasty and standing 71 m tall, it is the largest stone-carved seated Buddha in the world; the scenic area also includes Lingyun Temple, the Mahao Cliff Tombs and Wuyou Temple. The area can be divided into three parts: Emei's high-mountain zone (Leidongping–Jieyin Hall–Golden Summit, for sunrise, sea of clouds and Buddha's Halo, with snow and a ski area in winter), the mid-mountain zone (Wannian Temple–Qingyin Pavilion–Yixiantian–monkey zone–Hongchunping, for temples and hiking), and the low-mountain zone (Baoguo Temple, Fuhu Temple, Emeishan Museum and hot spring hotels). In Leshan the focus is the Giant Buddha scenic area and the city's food (beef in spicy broth, bobo chicken, sweet-skin duck and Xiba tofu on Zhanggongqiao food street). Climate: the low-mountain zone of Emei is mild and rainy; the Golden Summit is over 10°C colder than the base and foggy year-round. April–May and September–November have many clear days and a high chance of sunrise and sea of clouds; July–August is the escape-the-heat and rainy season; December–February brings snow on the Golden Summit and skiing at Leidongping; Leshan is hot in summer. Getting there: the high-speed train from Chengdu East or Chengdu South to Emeishan Station takes about 1 hour, and it is about 10 minutes from the station to the Baoguo Temple visitor center. To Leshan Station is also about 1 hour by high-speed train, and a bus from Leshan Station to the Giant Buddha takes about 30 minutes; between Emeishan and Leshan it is about 15 minutes by high-speed train or about 1 hour by coach. We suggest 2–3 days: half a day for the Leshan Giant Buddha and 1.5–2 days for Mount Emei (stay halfway up the mountain, or at the Golden Summit for sunrise). Admission: Mount Emei costs ¥160 in peak season (¥110 in the off-season from December 15 to January 15; valid for 2 days); the sightseeing bus round trip around the mountain is ¥90; the Golden Summit cable car is ¥65 up/¥55 down in peak season; the Wannian cable car is ¥65 up/¥45 down. The Leshan Giant Buddha mountain ticket is ¥80, and the boat tour is ¥70. Notes: monkeys in the Emei monkey zone will snatch bags, so keep food and plastic bags put away and do not stare at or tease them; the Golden Summit has large temperature swings and frequent rain and fog, so bring a jacket and rain gear, and watch for icy steps in winter; cable car queues at the Golden Summit can be 1–2 hours in peak season, so ride early in the morning or late afternoon; the Leshan Giant Buddha requires real-name timed reservations, and queues for the Nine-Turn Plank Road are long in peak season, so the best plan is to enter right when the park opens at 7:30 a.m.

Top sights

Where to eat

Itineraries