Reaching 71 meters high, the Leshan Giant Buddha is the tallest and oldest Buddha statue in the world. Only the recently built Buddha statue on Hainan Island is taller, standing 108 meters high. In 713 A.D. Buddhist monk Haitong started to build the Giant Buddha and it took 90 years to complete. Built where the Minjiang and Dadu Rivers meet, the statue's purpose was to protect the local boats men from the strong and dangerous currents in that area. The Mount Emei Scenic Area and the Leshan Giant Buddha have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996.

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