Giant Buddha of Leshan, seen from the river

The Giant Buddha of Leshan is a massive stone statue of Buddha located in Leshan City, Sichuan Province, China. It was built during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) as an effort to calm the turbulent waters of the confluence of the Dadu, Min, and Qingyi rivers.
The statue is carved into a cliff side that faces the confluence of the three rivers. It stands at 71 meters (233 feet) tall, making it the largest stone Buddha statue in the world. The construction of the statue took over 90 years, and it was completed in 803 AD. The statue is made of stone and features intricate details, including coiled hair, a serene expression, and elongated earlobes. However, the stone which the statue was carved into is sand stone which is too soft to resist erosion. The intricate part are now worn out.
Today, the Giant Buddha of Leshan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in China.