enVoyage - page 38

REMOTE SICHUAN
Perhaps the closest and most visited destinations near Chengdu
are Emeishan and the Leshan Giant Buddha. These two
UNESCO World Heritage Sites are just one hour away on the
recently completed High Speed Railway line to Emei Shan. Both
can be visited on the same day, as they are located a short
distance from each other.
Emeishan’s peak is accessible by bus, but the best way to
make the trek is by hiking, enjoying the changing flora and fauna
with increasing elevation and avoiding the crowds (which you
will eventually encounter at the summit). Although a bus trip to
the summit takes just a day, you should set aside two to three
days if you will make the journey by foot.
At Leshan, the 71m-tall Buddha statue carved into the side of
a mountain is a must-see for Buddhist devotees in China as well as
tourists. This is the largest stone carved Buddha in the world — its
base and feet alone are taller than an average adult. It can be
visited on foot or admired from afar during a riverboat cruise.
In the west of Sichuan, the lowlands become deep valleys
that eventually lead to the Tibetan Plateau of the Garzê Tibetan
Autonomous Prefecture. This area is known as Kham in Tibetan
and is one of the three original regions of Tibet. Kham
encompasses areas in Sichuan, Yunnan, Qinghai, and the Tibet
Autonomous Region.
Emeishan is one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains of China, while
Leshan is home to the world’s largest stone-carved Buddha. Both are
UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
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36 enVoyage