Leshan · 140km south of Chengdu
The Leshan Giant Buddha, in one day
A 71-metre figure carved into a cliff where two rivers meet, started in the Tang dynasty and finished ninety years later. Reachable from Chengdu by train before breakfast.
- Ticket
- CNY 80 peak · CNY 50 off-peak
- Hours
- 07:30–18:30 in season; 08:00–17:30 off
- Boat option
- CNY 70, no queue for the cliff path
- Getting there
- High-speed rail from Chengdu East or Chengdu South to Leshan station
Prices and hours checked 21 October 2026WaysChina — Chengdu day trips 2026 (tickets, hours, trains)
What you are looking at
The Buddha is carved into the red sandstone cliff of Lingyun Mountain, where the Min, Dadu and Qingyi rivers meet. It faces the water because that was the point: a monk named Haitong began the work in the Tang dynasty hoping to calm the currents that were drowning boatmen. The rubble from the carving went into the river and, according to the story everyone repeats, did change the flow.
At 71 metres it is the tallest stone Buddha in the world. You see it two ways: from the cliff path that descends beside its shoulder to its feet, or from a boat on the river, which gives you the whole figure at once and none of the steps.
Tickets, hours and how to get there
- Peak season ticket (approx. Apr–Oct)
- CNY 80, half price CNY 40
- Off-peak ticket (approx. Nov–Mar)
- CNY 50
- Included in the ticket
- The Buddha, Wuyou Temple, Mahao Cliff Tomb Museum
- Peak hours
- 07:30–18:30
- Off-peak hours
- 08:00–17:30
- River boat
- CNY 70, separate ticket, from Wuyou Temple pier
- Train
- Chengdu East or South → Leshan, 40–60 min, roughly CNY 26–63
- Station to gate
- Bus K1 or a 20-minute taxi, about CNY 15–25
Checked 21 October 2026. Ticket bands and hours differ slightly between listings, so both the peak and off-peak figures are given here; buy at the gate with a passport if the online form rejects it.
The schedule that works
- 1
Take an early train
The first departures from Chengdu East are before 06:30 and land you in Leshan around 07:30. Group tours arrive after 09:00, and the cliff path queue grows through the morning.
- 2
Do the cliff path first
The descent to the Buddha's feet is narrow and one-directional in practice. Go there before anything else, then work back through the temples.
- 3
Take the boat in the early afternoon
The boat gives the full frontal view that the cliff path cannot, and it is the answer if the cliff path is closed for maintenance — which happens.
- 4
Be back on a train by late afternoon
Trains run roughly every half hour back to Chengdu. Buy the return when you buy the outward ticket on weekends.
Is it worth a whole day?
Yes, if you have three days in Chengdu or more. It is a world-scale object, the train is cheap and fast, and lunch in Leshan is better than lunch near most Chinese scenic sites. No, if you have two days: the panda base and the old city are a better use of the time, and the Buddha is not going anywhere.
Bring cash for the bus and the small vendors, and expect the toilets at the top of the cliff path to be a queue rather than a facility.
Questions people actually ask
How do you get from Chengdu to Leshan?
High-speed train from Chengdu East or Chengdu South to Leshan station, 40 to 60 minutes, for roughly CNY 26–63. From the station, bus K1 or a 20-minute taxi reaches the Buddha.
How much is the Leshan Giant Buddha ticket?
About CNY 80 in peak season with a CNY 40 half-price concession, dropping to around CNY 50 off-peak. The river boat is a separate CNY 70.
Can you see the Leshan Buddha without walking down the cliff?
Yes — the CNY 70 river boat shows the whole figure from the water and involves no stairs. It is also the fallback when the cliff path is closed for maintenance.
How long does a Leshan day trip take from Chengdu?
Allow ten to twelve hours door to door: an early train, three to four hours at the site, lunch, and an afternoon return.