Frustration by Christopher
As a traveller, I found this a tough town to really like. It’s humid, almost unbelieavably so for someone with just the right genetic mix to 出一身汗, as they say, or get covered in sweat from head to toe. But that’s alright, because there’s really only one huge thing drawing you to Leshan – the Big Buddha (大佛). (Or, I guess it’s possible you could be there for the shaokao. If this is true, you’re more hardcore than me)
Except that when we visited, it really seemed like the whole town was trying its best to scam us. From the cab drivers and rickshaw drivers at the bus station to the Lonely Planet-recommended hotels to the restaurants, I was really disappointed. Don’t be fooled on your first day by anyone telling you they have the best Xi Ba Dou Fu (西坝豆腐/Western Dam Tofu) in town. It is a local specialty, but every restaurant has it, so try around.
Taking the bus from town to the park that hosts the Big Buddha is convenient and cheap. There’s a 50 kuai tourist boat to get up close and personal, or you can take a 1 kuai boat 50 metres down the road and get off with all the locals on a tiny sandbank of an island in the middle of the river facing it to get a great view too.
Come on, it’s a huge Buddha. You’ve gotta go.
over 5 years ago
