WORLD HERITAGE LIST - China
MOUNT EMEI :
Mount Emei is located in the mid-south part of Sichuan Province, the transitional belt from the Sichuan Basin to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The highest peak of Mount Emei is Wanfo Peak (meaning tens of thousands of Buddhas), at an altitude of 3,099 meters. The whole reserve occupies an area of 154 square kilometers.
With its beautiful natural landscape and the holy mountain of Buddhism , Mount Emei enjoys fame as "the most elegant place under heaven". The ancestors living in the area created splendid history and culture. In the 1st century A.D., one of the first Buddhist temples in China was built here, and the addition of other temples in the surrounding areas in the following years turned the site into one of Buddhism's main sacred places. Situated in a junction area of various natural elements, Mount Emei possesses typical geological and topographical features, well preserved eco-environment; and thanks to its essential position as the junction and transition belt of world biology divisions, the area boasts rich plant and animal resources, has distinct regional characteristics, and is the home to many rare and threatened species.
LESHAN GIANT BUDDHA:
The Giant Buddha of Leshan, located east to Leshan city, Sichuan Province and carved out of the west hillside of Xiluan Peak on Mount Lingyun, looks down on the confluence of three rivers, namely, Dongmin River, Qingyi River, and Dadu River. The Giant Buddha is an ancient petroglyph portraying a sitting Laughing Buddha, and the Buddha is also known as the Giant Buddha of Jiazhou or the Giant Buddha of Lingyun due to its geographical location.
The carving of the Giant Buddha began in the first year of Kaiyuan during the reign of Tang Xuanzong Emperor (713 A.D.) and completed in the nineteenth year of Zhenyuan in the reign of Tang Dezong Emperor (803 A.D.), lasting for 90 years. This Giant Buddha of Leshan is the largest statue of stone carving in China, and also the largest sitting Buddha in the world.
