Traveling the World

Tag: Giant Buddha

Leshan

by on Oct.24, 2009, under China

Giant Buddha

We left Emei Shan in the morning by private car and were dropped off in Leshan at the ticket office for the Giant Buddha. The private car cost 15rmb ($2.30) per person, and since I owed Melba, I paid for her as well. It was a very short 50 minute ride, yet I still managed to pass out. This seems to be a recurring theme with me, but at least it wasn’t during something important, like the sinking of the Titanic. The cheapest ticket costs 70rmb (~$10), but during the holidays it costs 90rmb ($13.50).

We walked in the annoyingly misty rain up the mountain and passed an unbearable amount of Chinese tourists. After 15 or 20 minutes, we arrived at the Giant Buddha and took pictures. We were up until that point unaware of the several hour long line which forms at the head and slowly, I mean s-l-o-w-l-y works its way down the cliff of the mountain to the statue’s feet.

Everyone I was with immediately lost interest in the idea, yet I refused to budge from the line, as I’d paid almost an hour’s salary (quite a bit of money for a single thing here) to see the damn statue. After I explained that it’d be impossible for us to miss the last bus back to Chengdu at night if we waited in line, they reluctantly agreed to wait. As time passed, they became more excited, and I became less interested. It’s ironic that this happened, but who’s to blame a white Jew for not particularly caring too much about some statue of another religion, especially when it goes against my people’s beliefs to worship a statue.

Giant Buddha

After we finished with the standard tourist poses next to the statue’s toes and whatnot, we attempted to escape. We got lost at some point and found our way to some area less traveled where tons of locals hang out and prey on tourists. It turns out we got lucky because this situation had obviously occurred many times and the business savvy locals were prepared with buses back to Chengdu.

During the ride, Richard and I were sitting in front of 4 Americans going to university in California: 2 Whites and 2 Asians. They were 2 males and 2 females, and they were talking about things I thought were funny back in college, but now honestly seem vulgar and childish. It’s weird how we grow up so fast without noticing it. Two hours later and 45rmb less, we were back at our hostel in Chengdu.


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