Leshan Giant Buddha

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Leshan: One of the plaques marking the location of the Giant Buddha of Leshan.

Leshan: Head of the Giant Buddha; up close.

Leshan: This bell rings to mark the rising of the sun every day... at least in ancient times it did. Today people ring it as they please while lingering around the top of the hill where the head of the Giant Buddha is located.

Leshan: Monk Haitong lived in this cave during the construction of the Giant Buddha.

Leshan: Rest area on the grounds that surround the head of the Giant Buddha.

Leshan: Close up of the Giant Buddha's left ear and the hole into what?
Leshan: Looking down on the observation platform at the foot of the Giant Buddha.

Leshan: View of a tourist boat lingering near the feet of the Leshan Giant Buddha statue.

Leshan: View of the Grand Buddha from my eighth floor room in the Jia Zhou Hotel on a clear afternoon. This clarity is unusual. Haze usually makes it difficult to see the cliffs clearly.

Leshan: Smaller statue carved in the cliff on the left side of the Giant Buddha as seen from the tourist boat that took us to the foot of the Giant Buddha.

Leshan: Smaller statue carved in the cliff on the right side of the Giant Buddha as seen from the tourist boat that took us to the foot of the Giant Buddha.

Leshan: People on the long steep stone stairway down to the viewing platform at the base of the Giant Buddha statue as seen from the tourist boat that took us to the foot of the Giant Buddha.

Leshan: View of the Leshan Giant Buddha from the deck of the tourist boat.

Leshan: A second tourist boat maneuvers in front of us for a closer look at the Giant Buddha statue.

Leshan: People on the long steep stone stairway down to the viewing platform at the base of the Giant Buddha statue as seen from the tourist boat that took us to the foot of the Giant Buddha.

Leshan: From some river vantage point it is reported the contours of the mountains resemble a giant reclining Buddha giving rise to the traditional description: "The mountain is the Buddha; the Buddha is the mountain." Stretch my mind as I might from every point along our river cruise, the only thing I saw reclining were the hills themselves.

Leshan: This dock sits near the South Entrance to the Buddha Cultural Park. A very loud one cylinder engine pounded away shattering the otherwise serene peacefulness of the place. The loud staccato noise followed me far up the steep trail leading to the WuYu Monastery. once inside the cloistered walls the noise disappeared. I'm wondering if the noise is being created intentionally.

Leshan: South Entrance to the Buddha Cultural Park. A steep trail leading to the WuYu Monastery had stone carvings on the cliff walls hugging the trail.

Leshan: This sign seems incongruous in the South Entrance to the Buddha Cultural Park considering the very loud staccato noise that followed me far up the steep trail leading to the WuYu Monastery. once inside the cloistered walls the noise disappeared.

Leshan: Huge stone marker near the South Entrance to the Buddha Cultural Park.

Leshan: Sign near the South Entrance to the Buddha Cultural Park.

Leshan: One of the gates into the Wuyu Monastery.

Leshan: Lions guard an entrance into a temple at the Wuyu Monastery.

Leshan: Historical information about Buddhism.

Leshan: One of the colorfully painted braces holding up a roof at the Wuyu Monastery.

Leshan: Memorial pagoda in a peaceful meditation garden at the Wuyu Monastery.

Leshan: A couple of the caves inhabited by monks in ancient times.

Leshan: Trash cans like this one are found all over the park.

Leshan: Bas relief sculpture on one of the walls along the main path in the Buddha Cultural Park.

Leshan: Picturesque bridge across the river near the East Gate of the park.

Leshan: Picturesque boat in the river near the East Gate of the park.

Leshan: Pilgrims install sticks to prop up the mountain near the East Gate of the park. I don't know the story, but it looks like people are adding their one little stick to all the others to hold up the mountain.

Leshan: Fred and friends pause for a group photo after an extended English "lesson."

Leshan: This little girl absolutely would not get within grabbing distance of the scary creature her family so much seemed to enjoy. Grandmother provided the necessary protection that allowed me to get this one through trickery.

Leshan: One of the hundreds of Buddhas memorialized throughout the park.

Leshan: Scary guardian near one of the major temple entrances.

Leshan: Incense burner near the bottom of the wide stairway. Notice the thousands of locks hanging from the chain in the background and from various places on the incense burner.

Leshan: Details on the incense burner covered with locks near the bottom of the wide stairway.

Leshan: Shot of the temple complex near the bottom of the wide stairway.

Leshan: I stopped in the Sweety cafe for kabobs one evening and acquired two more English students. The one on the right insists her English teacher gave her the name, Cherry. The one on the left begged me to give her an English name, so I did: Shirley. I couldn't believe how emotional this insignificant event became for the poor child. I visited the place several more times. The last time I left she broke down with eyes brimming.

Leshan: We passed an endless sea of farmlands on the bus trip to Leshan from Chengdu. While vast areas of rice could be seen, companion planting dominated the scene. Many of the rice fields were being harvested; some by mechanical combines, other by old traditional hand methods.

Leshan: Entrance to the three star $43 Jia Zhou Hotel where I stayed.

Leshan: Floral arrangement in the lobby in the Jia Zhou $43 three star hotel... which deserves four stars.

Leshan: Every day this is the "breakfast" that would start my day. The brown leather shoelaces are baked bean curd. Fried peanuts are a regular fare at breakfast. The small dark leaf wrapped item is sticky rice flavored as the chef sees fit each day. The pile of chipped beef became my sole source of morning protein. Two kinds of soft buns, one filled with hash added unwanted carbohydrates to my morning feast. A Chinese corn husk wrapped "Tamale" is actually a spongy cake like food, slightly sweet. The glass contains a reasonable imitation of coffee; no cups in this hotel. A knife and fork were offered the foreigner until I regularly chose the sticks like everyone else.

Leshan: River view from my eighth floor room in the 3 star $43 Jia Zhou Hotel.

Leshan: One of the monumental sculptures in a large plaza across the street from the hotel. Every night the plaza exploded into a wild dance party with multiple groups competing for attention.

Leshan: Sculpture along one of the walkways through a maze of shopping stalls leading over to the hotel.

Leshan: Sculpture along one of the walkways connecting a happy little park over to the hotel.

Leshan: I love riding public buses in foreign countries. At the end of the #10 city bus I found this typical compact community of JuZi. This is the main street of town.

Leshan: At the end of the #10 city bus I found the typical little community of JuZi. Obviously a farming hub, I spotted grain drying on the street down the main drag through town.

Leshan: At the end of the #10 city bus I found the typical little community of JuZi. Obviously a farming hub, several open front cafes serve as social centers for card players.

Leshan: Walking the streets of JuZi I could hear a block away the pounding of some machine. Then I came upon this primitive pepper mill pounding away while the operator's wife roasted more raw peppers in preparation for the grinding.

Leshan: Away from the main street I found this plumbing shop with its display of bathroom fixtures, toilets... Chinese style, naturally.

Leshan: During my daily walks around town I discovered many farmers markets like this one.

Leshan: Some of the infinite variety of "weeds" offered for sale in the many farmers markets I discovered around town.

Leshan: Sidewalk around the Times Square Plaza are enjoyed by strollers and joggers alike.

Leshan: Sidewalk benches around the Times Square Plaza are a popular place for a friendly game of cards with

Leshan: Cigarettes are a government monopoly in China. Prices vary from 3 to 70 Yuan, or 45 cents to $10.50 per pack of 10 coffin nails. Creation of attractive, elegant, shiny packaging must be a major enterprise in the country. Shame on you China.

Leshan: I have often joked that Chinese chefs must be blind because they always leave bone fragments in the food they prepare. I watched this butcher as he chopped away at a chicken making bone splinters as fast as he produced one or two inch pieces of the bird, oblivious to the location of joints. So, the butcher is the bone splinter culprit, not the cook.

Leshan: Here are the makings for "Tongue of Duck" with plenty left over to make a pot of duck soup.

Leshan: Dinah translated the literal meaning of eight Chinese characters chiseled into a stone boulder installed in front of her college and attempted to decipher the intention of the author. A teacher came by and explained the meaning in English: "Gather as much knowledge as you can so you bring no shame on yourself."

29 August 2008

Blessings from the Giant Buddha of Leshan China,

Monumental, is the first word that comes to mind as I stand eye to eye with the head of the enormous Giant Buddha of Leshan. For over a thousand years it has reminded believers to anticipate the arrival of a "redeemer" in the far distant future who would teach mankind how to control its cravings and enjoy unbounded bliss free of suffering. These ancient Buddhist teachings bear an interesting resemblance to old Jewish prophecies. Most of the throngs standing around me are in a festive mood, cameras clicking away, children noisy in their rambunctious play, ice bonbons (Popsicles) passing from brother to sister, security guards dressed as Buddhist monks or brothers watching benignly, leather faced octogenarians gazing in amusement or reminiscing about the unrealistic promises of youth.

Peering over the edge down to the base of the statue, I am struck by the similarity with that Egyptian Abu Simbel colossus at Aswan and the now destroyed Buddhas of Bamyan in Afghanistan. People do the most astounding things when intoxicated by the ecstasy of their religious beliefs. During my undergraduate days I remember a professor asserting: "The history of the world is the history of its technology." Now older, wiser and more widely traveled I must insist on adding religion to the conclusion. In every culture of which I have any knowledge, in every period of history I have studied, religious beliefs have played a major role in people's lives. Never mind the objective evidence for the validity of the beliefs is always lacking, people appear compelled to concoct outrageous myths to complete their understanding of the world they know. The policy makers in China seem to know this better than the governments of most other nations around the World.

For the past week I have been in a small town 175 kilometers south of Chengdu. I'm staying at the underrated three star $43 Jia Zhou Hotel. Below my eighth floor window flows the Dadu River. Not more than fifty meters away, I can see a few small boats glide slowly up and down the coffee brown gentle turbulence. The water craft are picturesque, but the real stars of the river are the frequent gangs of swimmers who enter a kilometer up stream from a wharf and float past my window leaving the river at another wharf one or two kilometers further on down stream. A few choose to end their float on the shores of a small island sitting in the middle of the river with the Leshan Giant Buddha cliffs in the background. The performance is repeated frequently throughout the day; sometimes by a lone swimmer, but more often by groups of six to twenty hardy souls wearing floatation vests and bright swimming caps. The first time I saw a cluster of colored "balls" bobbing past my window I guessed they might be unusual flotsam, wobbling aimlessly as they passed by about twice as fast as I can walk.

After a week in the hotel I discovered the famous Leshan Giant Buddha occasionally is visible from my river front room during brief periods in the afternoon when the haze lifts. Seventy-one meters tall and carved into a red sandstone cliff at the edge of a river, it is the largest sitting Buddha sculpture in the World. Around the site of the sculpture are numerous Buddhist temples and monasteries. At the North Gate ticket window I learned they grant ancient ones like me, free entry into the park. Those under seventy pay a 50 Yuan entrance fee, about $7.50. The path up to the main attraction contains numberless commemorations of Buddhist monks who led exemplary lives and who now, themselves are considered Buddhas. Anyone in a hurry could reach the top of the hill for a look at the curly head of the giant in a half hour. I took much longer as I lingered here and there to read the numerous plaques containing historical notes, to admire the handiwork of long forgotten sculptors, to capture photographic images of the wonders and to just enjoy the serenity of the place. (Don't miss the additional "overflow" collection of pictures on the appended page.) My first impression of the Giant Buddha of Leshan was well... BIG.

The next day I entered the park from the South Gate and explored the pathways in that area leading to more temples, caves and monasteries. The hill is rich with ancient cultural artifacts left by Buddhist monks during the past two thousand years. Wandering the secluded grounds of the sprawling Wuyu Monastery hidden in the hills above the Giant Buddha, I found it easy to imagine century after century of brothers walking among the shady trees, pagodas and inspiring vistas contemplating... nothingness. My own empty mind played with a wordless sense of that ultimate reality. So much serene beauty, so much silence, so many reminders of the countless numbers of men who devoted their lives to understanding and practicing the ideas discovered by Siddhartha Gautama more than twenty-five hundred years ago left me with a sense of calm, of suspended awe. Traveling alone as I do gives me a lot of time to think in the cloister of my own mind. This monk needs no walled enclosure, no monastery to find the peace of seclusion. Unorthodox perhaps, but different strokes for different folks.

LeShan and EmeiShan are among the most revered devotional sites in all of the Buddhist tradition. According to historical records, the first Buddhist temple in China was built in the beautiful surroundings of nearby Mount Emei in the first century, shortly after Buddhism was introduced from India. I had never even heard of the place before coming to the country this time. That realization is a good reminder none of us can experience everything and that even those with vast exposure to what the world has to offer must be content with the knowledge he has but sampled a tiny fraction of everything. Global generalizations are always tainted by the preponderance of the invisible unknown.

Naturally, many of the people near my eminent presence here on the mountain found me much more interesting than a crummy thousand year old statue hacked into a crumbling cliff. I kid you not, here we are in the presence of one of the World's true cultural treasures and people are gathering around me to study my funny camera, my white beard, my round eyes... and god knows what else! Parents try to act nonchalantly while they encourage the kids to provoke the beast with primitive "hello's," "Wha yo fra?" or a tentative "nee ha." Because the English language is now being taught at all levels throughout the country, it is impossible to be far from someone who displays an anxious eagerness to practice his or her limited capability... usually a her. If the kids inexcusably happened to be more interested in something else, the parents commonly nudge the little ones pointing at me so they don't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to see one of those "foreign devils from the sea" grandma mentions with a quivering voice.

While walking one of the downtown streets here in Leshan I paused to watch the activity in a beauty salon. To my surprise, three of the four women receiving attention from the beauticians were having their hair dyed! I guess that explains why one sees so few grey or white haired women. Several English speaking people with whom I managed to develop a rapport have confided my appearance reminds them of Mister Christmas... Santa Claus. I suppose the little ones even here in this nominally secular country might experience awe facing that mysterious fat, bearded bringer of gifts, exotic happy seasonal music and tasty tid-bits. On my last trip to the country during December 2004 I found the ubiquitous strains of Western Christmas carols complete with religious lyrics incongruous to say the least.

China is a beautiful land; some parts are excruciatingly gorgeous, but with a little persistence one can still find pockets of squallier. For the most part however, even the poorest areas are neat and clean with residents who seem to be enjoying their simple lives. Beggars are practically nonexistent: I saw only one during my 12 day stay. Frankly, it is the less affluent parts of the country which I find most fascinating.

If you want excitement, come to China. In this little tourist town of Leshan something happens everyday. Major events like a wedding reception at the hotel are sure to require fireworks. A big hat box full of giant firecrackers all linked together is set off, creating a monstrous sound like a truckload of bowling balls being dumped on a wooden platform. The first time I heard the sound I thought a building had collapsed!

The city sits on a broad flat plain with lots of level streets and sidewalks. Here in the city of Leshan evenings are for strolling along the river walk or joining one of the dance classes in the small plaza next to the hotel or pausing to enjoy musicians hired to herald a new store opening. There is always something to entertain people out to enjoy the evening cool along the crowded downtown streets.

I walk a lot and find most odors along any of the back ways are distinctly "Chinese." Next time you visit a major Chinatown somewhere in the United States notice the smells. That is what I whiff much of the time here... that and an infinite variety of other unique fragrances produced by boiling oils, chopped weeds, a welder's torch, roasting red peppers, burning incense or any number of other sources. My walks are a veritable torrent of unique aromas.

The country continues to build high rise housing structures at a dizzy rate. Each is designed like a self contained town with shopping facilities integrated into the buildings. Need a bag of spongy buns? Just run down stairs to one of the grocery stores on the ground floor. Planning a social gathering with friends? Yep, it can be reservations at one of the several restaurants next to the grocery stores. Shoes need fixing, a new dress for the party, some plumbing supplies? Same answer. It is all very convenient. And, if you don't find exactly what you want in any of the stores in your neighborhood, just hop on a fifteen cent bus to anywhere in the city for what seems like an infinite variety of alternatives.

Smokers practice their destructive addiction anywhere they wish and puff away without regard for the health concerns of anyone! Every part of my hotel room, dining room chairs and table cloths show the costly physical damage caused by careless smokers. The economic impact must be enormous! Cigarette sales are promoted with glittering packaging by the central government. It has a monopoly and apparently is a major source of revenue. Prices for an attractive package of coffin nails range from 2 to 70 Yuan (30 cents to over $10). Most packages do not carry health warnings. To be fair, quite a number of business establishments prohibit smoking in all or a part of their stores and there is no smoking in cabs or buses. As far as I can tell there is no organized anti-smoking campaign in China yet.

Fortunately, I have been approached several times by people willing to help me with my struggling Chinese. Hanyu or Mandarin, as it is known in the West is a very difficult spoken language, requiring students to not only memorize phonetics for a word, but also the unique "melody" associated with each idea! Since entering China five weeks ago I have managed to remember the Pinyin representations for a number of useful phrases, but few people can figure out what I am "saying" as I sing the phonetics to a mangled version of the correct song. To understand my difficulty with learning the dominant spoken language of China, imagine trying to sing the words of one well known English language song to the melody of another; for example "Row, row, row your boat" to the tune for "Twinkle, twinkle little star." It just doesn't "feel" right! Get either wrong and you have a garbled mess!"

The First Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi around 200BCE recognized the problems created by the hundreds of spoken languages throughout his empire and brilliantly, if ruthlessly ordered everyone across the land to use a single written representation of ideas for which there were so many different spoken versions! Too bad he didn't order them all to speak something like modern English as well.

Except for that one session in Xi'an in the dark dingy cavernous third floor WangBa where I wrote in explicit detail about the two main "forbidden" subjects, I have been totally unaware of any interference with things I put in my postcards. Looking back, I now suspect even those problems might have been an artifact of the screwy session control software being used by the establishment, rather than governmental intrusion. But, who knows? Internet cafes here in Leshan are more respectable, usually located at the street level and smaller with good lighting.

On the political front, my friend Timothy alerted me to a recent widely reprinted article by Robert Perry, How the Republicans Win. A knee jerk reaction after quickly skimming the work suggested it contained more of what everyone already knows about the disastrous Bush presidency. Looking for credible conservative reactions to the article I checked for reviews of Parry's books at Amazon.com. While the author's conclusions might surprise no one, I found the huge catalog of supporting evidence cited in the article shocking. Every American, conservative or liberal needs to consider the implications of this investigative reporter's revelations. As I have long suspected, our democracy is in peril! Every apathetic citizen is an unwitting co-conspirator.

Peace

Fred L Bellomy

PS: My ever vigilant friend Geno upon reading the tale of eating apples like a horse in my last postcard, pointed out there are hazards to consuming too many apple seeds! Amazing as his assertion sounds, I confirmed with a little research chronic overzealous apple seed munchers could conceivably exceed the half lethal dose for that innocuous food. However, even water has a half lethal dose it turns out (over six gallons in one sitting)! The apple seeds, if chewed well can produce Cyanide! None of the citations I found quoted the level of a deadly dose and most implied an adult would need to chew up seeds from more apples than anyone could reasonably be expected to consume in a single sitting. Still, here is some more amazing, astounding knowledge I didn't have until that Chinese kid and I chomped away under a shady tree inside an obscure Buddhist monastery deep in the mountains of central China. Every day it is something new... if I am lucky.

PPS: I leave in a day or two for nearby Mount Emei, more climbing and study of Buddhist traditions. FB

Leshan: View of the Giant Buddha from the deck of the tourist boat.

Leshan: The Lingbao Pagoda. It is visible from many locations throughout the city across the river.

Leshan: Forbidden photo inside the Temple of a Thousand Buddhas at WuYu Monastery. This is the Buddha with a thousand arms that sits at the center of the temple. My little "spy" camera came in handy here. Actually, I think the prohibition is only applicable to flash cameras.

Leshan: Some of the inhabitants in the Hall of a Thousand Buddhas at the Wuyu Monastery. Photo thanks to my tiny, silent, flashless camera.

Leshan: Some of the inhabitants in the Hall of a Thousand Buddhas at the Wuyu Monastery. These two are particularly lifelike.

Leshan: Bridge across the river near the East Gate.

Leshan: At the top of the bridge these folks took a special interest in me and my activities. The guy was trying to take my picture.

Leshan: Flowers carpet an area around the extensive grounds of the Times Square Plaza.

Leshan: More examples of flowers used to landscape the area around the extensive grounds of the Times Square Plaza.

Leshan: Close up of the focal point sculpture on the grounds of the Times Square Plaza.

Leshan: I found this bright shiny steel sculpture particularly appealing. Part of the scattered sculpture garden in the Times Square Plaza, it reminds me of the Little Mermaid near Copenhagen Denmark.

Leshan: Part of the scattered sculpture garden in the Times Square Plaza.

Leshan: Part of the scattered sculpture garden in the Times Square Plaza. This kid appointed herself my unrequested photographer's model and followed me around putting herself in every scene I showed some interest in.

Leshan: Determined to not be outdone by her cute little sister, this charmer worked hard to attract the attention of my camera in the Times Square Plaza sculpture garden.

Leshan: Everywhere I went in the sculpture garden this little kid posed for my camera. I must wonder if her parents encourage such behavior. I found it delightful.

Leshan: Part of the scattered sculpture garden in the Times Square Plaza.

Leshan: People feeding the goldfish along the zig-zag bridge across a pond in the Times Square Plaza.

Leshan: Many works in the Times Square Plaza sculpture garden serve as playgrounds for the kids and photo backdrops for photographers.

Leshan: Some of the scenes in the sculpture garden may depict historical or legendary figures.

Leshan: Bridge across a pond in the Times Square Plaza. friends.

Leshan: In one of the many small parks along the main street next to the river I found this fellow engrossed in his newspaper.

Leshan: In one of the many small parks along the main street next to the river I found this attractive sculpture not far from another of a bronze guy reading a newspaper.

Leshan: Crocodile sculpture in a small park along one of the principle streets through town.

Leshan: This sculpture dominates the center of a traffic circle near the hotel.

Leshan: Melon on a stick is a popular snack along the main street and one sees many carts like this one.

Leshan: Granny insists her little charge perform for the foreign stranger... for which the tyke needed no encouragement. I found the tiny tot's playfulness captivating and could hardly pull myself away from the performance with grandma egging the kid on to more of the cutest antics I've witnesses so far.

Leshan: Smoking is prohibited in many places throughout the park. Still, one sees plenty of cigarette butts on the ground, so not everyone can control their addiction.

Leshan: Queues of rickshaws like this, line the street curbs near any popular shopping location. They compete with one Yuan buses, 2-5 Yuan four wheel taxis, 1-3 Yuan motorcycle taxis... and of course free walking which I usually chose for all but the most distant destinations.

More Leshan photos on this separate page.

Leshan: Head of the Leshan Giant Buddha statue, a 200 foot high work carved into the red sand stone cliff rising up out of the Dadu River waters.

Leshan: Erected in the assembly area around the North entrance to the Buddha Cultural area where the Giant Buddha statue is located is this Chinese "baptismal fount." If the healing waters don't wash your sins away, the dragon is sure to scare the hell out of you. Actually, its real use is a mystery to me.

Leshan: The cliff walls facing the assembly area around the North entrance to the Buddha Cultural area where the Giant Buddha statue is located are pocked with ancient sculptures, most of which have weathered so much it is difficult to see the original intention.

Leshan: These cliff walls facing the assembly area around the North entrance to the Buddha Cultural area are now partially below street level.

Leshan: That is the main gate into the Buddha Cultural Park. It is called the Giant Buddha Torii.

Leshan: Details of the main gate into the Buddha Cultural Park. It is called the Giant Buddha Torii.

Leshan: This is the Leshan Giant Buddha Museum. It seems to have been abandoned, but I found the architecture particularly appealing.

Leshan: Plaque designating the park as a World Heritage Site.

Leshan: Plaque containing historical information about the park.

Leshan: North gate entrance. Oldsters over 70 years of age enter free. Others pay 50 Yuan, about $7.50. It pays to live a long time in China.

Leshan: The Giant Buddha statue is located just around that cliff. One of the tourist boats is slowing as it passes the place where passengers can get the best view of the enormous sculpture.

Leshan: One of the tourist boats slows as it passes the place where passengers can get the best view of the Giant Buddha .

Leshan: Shortly after entering the North Gate we are faced with a cave and the beginning of the stone stairs leading up to the top of the head of the Leshan Giant Buddha statue. This spot is a favorite backdrop for photos.

Leshan: Most of the hiking trail is well engineered with frequent flights of shallow stone stairs like these. It is a climb to the top, but nothing like Huashan!

Leshan: Many smaller sculptures of venerated personages have been erected along the hiking trail leading up to the top of the Giant Buddha's head.

Leshan: Sign along the hiking trail.

Leshan: Buddhist sayings have been chiseled into the walls along the hiking trail leading up to the top of the Giant Buddha's head.

Leshan: Stone tiger statue guards the entrance to a cave known as the Tiger's Lair where one of the revered monks spent his quiet hours. I crawled into the cave and watching a family with small children hesitate to climb up. I then mischievously let out a blood curdling roar that delighted all.

Leshan: Drinking Pavilion near the top of the hill where the Giant Buddha head first becomes visible.

Leshan: Wishing well, Chinese style. People throw paper money into this pond for reasons unknown: probably for the same reason we toss coins into them, superstition I guess.

Leshan: Thousands of tourists and a few religious pilgrims visit the cultural relics in this Buddhist Cultural Park daily.

Leshan: These people are waiting to climb down the steep stairway to the foot of the Giant Buddha.

Leshan: People on the long steep stone stairway down to the viewing platform at the base of the Giant Buddha statue as seen from the head of the Giant Buddha.

Leshan: Looking down on another tourist boat on its way to the base of the Giant Buddha.

Leshan: One of the terrible mythical guardians at the gate into a temple area.

Leshan: This Fat Buddha sits next to the guardians.

Leshan: One of the other mythical guardians at the gate into a temple area.

Leshan: Pilgrims light incense sticks at the entrance into a temple area.

Leshan: A group of "monks" chant the Buddhist sutras in one of the temples. Actually, all these guys are now paid by the central government to "perform" the ancient rituals for the edification of tourists. However, some may also be devoted monks as well.

Leshan: Statues of other Buddhas in the chamber where a group of "monks" chant the Buddhist sutras.

Leshan: Visitors on the way to viewing the giant head pass the entrance to the temple where a group of "monks" chant the Buddhist sutras, adding greatly to the sacred ambiance of the area for a few of us oldsters.

Leshan: Finally at the top of the hill I come upon the actual head of the Leshan Giant Buddha. I am joined by crowds of noisy families, children running and screaming like it is recess time in school. The atmosphere is jubilant, few reverent pilgrims in this gang.

Leshan: Bas relief sculpture at the bottom of the wide stairway.

Leshan: Another Buddha sculpture at the bottom of the wide stairway.

Leshan: Another Buddha sculpture at the bottom of the wide stairway. This one reminds me of monuments I saw at Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

Leshan: Sculpture at the bottom of the wide stairway.

Leshan: Bas relief sculpture at the bottom of the wide stairway.

Leshan: Sculpture at the bottom of the wide stairway near the obscure giant reclining bas relief sculpture.

Leshan: Sculpture at the bottom of the wide stairway.

Leshan: I love these little "gazebos" located where people most need to rest.

Leshan: Monk and dragon sculpture at the bottom of the wide stairway.

Leshan: Group sculpture at the bottom of the wide stairway.

Leshan: Close up of a female dancer as part of the group sculpture at the bottom of the wide stairway.

Leshan: Seated Buddha sculpture at the bottom of the wide stairway.

Leshan: Part of the sculpture garden located off to the side at thee bottom of the wide stairway.

Leshan: Musicians bas relief in the sculpture garden located off to the side at thee bottom of the wide stairway.

Leshan: Isolated standing Buddha in the sculpture garden located off to the side at the bottom of the wide stairway.

Leshan: Dancer in the trees off to the side at the bottom of the wide stairway.

Leshan: Large engraving on a huge boulder. Have no idea what it says, but I found it beautiful.

Leshan: City view as seen from my eighth floor room in the Jia Zhou Hotel.

Leshan: One of the street venders working near the hotel selling delicious peaches with the texture of apples! Crunchy, but wonderfully sweet, I thought they must be unripe until I bit into one of them.

Leshan: One of the finished paper decorations used in store openings and other important events.

Leshan: Locals who enjoy floating down the river congregate at the jumping off place on one of the river wharfs. Some carry dry clothes in large red floating bags secured by a lanyard to their bodies.

Leshan: River swimmers-floaters leave the wharf one after another, first swimming hard out to the faster currents in the middle of the river.

Leshan: When the swim-float is over some hike several kilometers back up the riverside walk to do it all over again. These guys obviously relish the invigorating exercise. From my window in the hotel I watched as an enormous crowd in bathing suits filled one of the buses to quicken the trip back up stream to have another run at the river.

Leshan: Near the Western Bus Terminal I found extensive housing developments. Each contained its own compact shopping complex. This is the entrance to the A Little Flavor Restaurant where I enjoyed several "box" lunches.

Leshan: This is a manhole cover! The last Chinese symbol is the one found in the names of all WongBa's, Internet Cafes/Bars. I had to wonder if there might be an Internet terminal hidden down in the hole!

Leshan: While walking West along the river road I stopped to inspect the herbal offerings of a street vendor. These two girls approached offering translation help. The one on the right is Dinah; the one on the left hasn't yet received her English name from a teacher. Dinah is a bright twenty year old college freshman who wants to study mathematics. We spoke for a half hour.

Leshan: Chewing on my KFC chicken the older of these two sister started chatting with me in English. As we talked it became obvious this 19 year old college freshman majoring in English had mastered her foreign language. Her distinctive accent clearly marked her as a non-native speaker, but complex ideas and sentence construction impressed me with her proficiency. Majoring in English, she does not want to become a teacher like the majority of her classmates; she will become an administrator. As she had not yet been given an English name, she begged me to give her one. I chose Sandra as it has sounds in common with her Chinese name. For the next ten minutes she insisted I tell her everything I knew about the meaning of the name Sandra ; I didn't have a clue! Later I checked Wikipedia.

Leshan: Walking East along the river walk I ran into this couple who wanted to chat in English. More mature than most of the kids I encounter, we actually exchanged some meaningful information.

Leshan: These kids behaved overjoyed in being able to converse with an actual English speaking visitor. I found their enthusiasm contagious.

Leshan: Musicians attracting attention to a seller of Moon Cakes on the streets of downtown Leshan.