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Leshan is a pretty little city, (population 7,000) situated in the southwest of Sichuan Province, about 180km
from Chengdu and 20km
from Emeishan. This 1300
year old market town has recently undergone major reconstruction work but fortunately
remains a pleasant place to visit and take a look at the biggest Buddha in the world! The city is situated at the meeting point of the Dadu and Min rivers and
the most famous site, the Grand Buddha or Dafu, towers above the river bed.
The outskirts of the city have been reduced to rubble and the center now consists of sleek
paving, tall offices and electronic billboards. Despite all this, there are still some
pretty little streets and markets to explore here, and modernization has made the town a
relatively clean and invigorating place to spend a few days and the climate and landscape
here endow Leshan with abundant natural resources. The area is rich in plant species and
fir trees and other rare species of mountain flora can be found in abundance. Some 296
animal species have been recorded, over 20 of these are protected species including
pandas. |
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