Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area
The first Buddhist temple in China was built here in Sichuan Province in the 1st century A.D. in the beautiful surroundings of the summit Mount Emei. The addition of other temples turned the site into one of Buddhism's holiest sites. Over the centuries, the cultural treasures grew in number. The most remarkable is the Giant Buddha of Leshan, carved out of a hillside in the 8th century and looking down on the confluence of three rivers. At 71 m high, it is the largest Buddha in the world. Mount Emei is also notable for its exceptionally diverse vegetation, ranging from subtropical to subalpine pine forests. Some of the trees there are more than 1,000 years old.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/779
Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area, comprise the place where Buddhism was first established in China. It is also outstanding for its plant species diversity.
Emei Shan and Leshan are located in China's Sichuan Province. The two nominated areas are separated from each other by about 4Okm. Emei Shan is a sacred Buddhist site. The Giant Buddha of Leshan measures 71 m high overall, which makes it the largest statue of the Buddha in the world.
Emei is the most outstanding Buddhist mountain in China. Emei became a sacred Buddhist site following the sixth-century visit of Bodhisattva Puxian and his six-tusked elephant. Here Buddhism first became established on Chinese territory and from where it spread widely throughout the east.
Covering Emei Shan is a sub-tropical forest with many endemic and endangered plants. They include orchids, primulas, rhododendrons, camellias, ginkgos, cycads and tree ferns. The mountain is frequently covered in dense cloud, with associated high rainfall and humidity.
Construction of the Giant Buddha (Dafo) of Leshan started in 713 AD, when the monk Haitong came up with an idea to curb the rough waters below the sandstone cliffs of Lingyun Shan. He wanted to fill in the shoals with rubble produced by carving out a giant Buddha image. It took 90 years to finish this project.
http://www.worldheritagesite.org/list/id/779
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