Leshan Giant Tallest Buddha Statue, China

The Leshan Giant Buddha (Chinese: 樂山大佛) is a 71-meter (233-foot) tall stone statue of Maitreya, the Buddha of the future, located in Leshan, Sichuan province, China. It is the tallest stone Buddha statue in the world and is carved out of a cliff face in the Lingyun Mountains. The statue was built in the 8th century during the Tang Dynasty and took over 90 years to complete. It is considered a masterpiece of Buddhist art and a popular tourist attraction. The Leshan Giant Buddha is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered one of the Four Great Buddhist Mountains of China. It was built between 713 and 803. It is carved out of a cliff face of Cretaceous red bed sandstones that lies at the confluence of the Min River and Dadu River in the southern part of Sichuan province in China, near the city of Leshan. The stone sculpture faces Mount Emei, with the rivers flowing below its feet. It is the largest and tallest stone Buddha statue in the world and it is by far the tallest pre-modern statue in the world.