Mount Emei, literally Towering Eyebrow Mountain, in Sichuan province is one of China’s four sacred Buddhist mounatins. The first Buddhist temple in China was built at the summit of Mount Emei. The addition of other temples in subsequent years makes the mountain a much revered holy place.

The mountain is known for its unusually diverse vegetation, with forests ranging from subtropical at its base to subalpine near the summit. Many of the trees on its slopes are more than 100 years old.

According to legend, Chinese boxing originated at a Shaolin monastery on the slopes of Mount Emei, though the monastary is no longer standing and its precise location is unknown.

The Giant Buddha of Leshan is one of the most popular sights on Mount Emei. Depicting Buddha in a sitting position, the statue was carved out on the side of a hill facing Mount Emei and looking down on the confluence of the Minjian, Dadu and Qinyi Rivers. At 71 meters tall and 28 meters wide, it’s the tallest Buddha carving in the world. The statue’s smallest toenail is large enough to serve as a seat for a grown adult, its instep large enough to hold 100 people.

Construction on the statue was begun in 713 and led by a monk called Haitong. It was his fervent hope that the presence of the Buddha would calm the turbulent waters that were a threat to all ships traveling down the river. When the statue was half complete, there were doubts as to whether or not it would ever be finished and funding was withdrawn. In order to prove his sincerity and dedication to the investors, Haitong gouged out his own eyes. Construction resumed and the statue was completed under the supervision of Haitong’s disciples almost 90 years after work began. So much rock was removed from the mountain and deposited in the river below that the strong currents were indeed slowed and the waters became much safer for ships.

When it was new, the statue was painted with gold leaf and covered bay a thirteen story pavilion. Over the centuries the pavilion has fallen apart and the paint has almost entirely faded away, but the magnificence of the the statue itself still remains.

The Mount Emei Scenic Area, including the Leshan Giant Buddha, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

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