Blogs from Leshan, Sichuan, China, Asia

Hi All, It has been way too long since I have posted. As you can see I am still in China, I am still working at Shaoyang University, we have bought a small flat in Leshan City in Sichuan where we come to as a holiday home. So there are new places to explore around Leshan and in Southern Sichuan. First place on the list is Jiajiang home to some wonderful buddhist sculptures carved into some Cliffs along the riverside. The sculptures date from around 500 AD, a little older than the Giant Buddha, and are in remarkable condition considering their age. It's only a 30 minute bus ride, on bus 307 costing 5元, to Jiajiang from Leshan and entrance is free. Enjoy the photos JAH Bless... read more

Geo: 29.6467, 103.278Still stunningly beautiful. Still incredibly infuriating!The overcrowded, non air-conditioned bus to Hongya seemed to take forever! Not much fun when you have 2 seats between 4, one of them being an incredibly wriggly toddler! I was not in the mood to undertake bus journey number two to Gaomiao on the same day but Bill was desperate to get home and after a tea stop in Hongya's main square and a chance to stretch Isaac's legs, we picked up the yellow bus to Gaomiao which is actually a pretty pleasant ride. Bill's Auntie and Uncle were there to meet us and we were made to sit and be polite whilst they finished a business meal in the private room of a restaurant. The last thing any of us wanted to do after 2 long, squashed ... read more

10 mars ( à Leshan ) Mon cadran sonne et résonne dans l'appartement vide où je me réveille. Je ne sais toujours pas où je suis exactement. Je sort de mes draps Hello Kitty en faisant de l'écho en marchant jusqu'au salon vert et mauve du logement inconnu du vingt-troisième étage, perdu dans Leshan. Je remplit rapidement mes sacs et quitte l'appartement en espérant n'y avoir rien oublié. Sinon tant pis. C'est que j'ai zéro moyen d'y ré-entrer. Je n'ai pas le numéro de téléphone du propriétaire, ni même l'adresse exacte où je me trouve. Bref, dès que je quitterai le building, il disparaîtra sûrement, effacé dans l'espace-temps. Traboulidon. J'y pense, je n'y ai croisé personne dans ce bloc depuis mon arrivée. J'ai de sérieux doutes qu'il soit réellement habité vous savez. Et même, je doute ... read more

Geo: 29.5458, 103.774A 140km drive brought us to Leshan and its Tang Dynasty, 1,200 years old, 71m tall Buddha carved into a limestone outcrop. The largest sitting Buddha in the world and a UNESCO site. Like at the 1,000 Buddha temple in Laos, this Buddha overlooked the confluence of rivers; three in this case.Our guide, Oliver, chose well and our lunch was very good this time.Then a visit to a park and to a period shopping alley, and also to the Tibetan quarter. Surprisingly, the 55 ethnic minorities in China (who comprise 8% of the population - the rest are Han people) seem to enjoy preferential policies. For example they enjoy exemptions under the 'one child' policy and the five autonomous regions have special rights. Pretty sure that the Tibetans and Uighurs don't see it that ... read more

Geo: 29.5011, 103.391We spent 3 days lost in the holy Mountains and it was just nice. Emei Shan is the most famous of the 4 holy Buddhist mountains of China, where Yuxian arrived from India on the back of the famous elephant with 6 tusks, Puxian. The story says that, one day, an herbalist living in the mountain saw a white deer and followed him until the top of the Mountain. Once there, he saw a golden light and a temple was built in its honour… Since then, Emei Shan is a symbol of Buddhism and many temples have been build there. Sadly, like in many places in China, most of them have been damaged by either fire or war (against Japanese or Cultural Revolution). However the oldest is still over 1100years old.The hike starts at ... read more