City draws international tourism

The highest peak on Mount Emei in Leshan, Sichuan province, is Wanfoding. The third Sichuan International Travel Expo will be held in Leshan in late September. Gao Luchuan / For China Daily

Tourists play with monkeys, an attraction of Mount Emei. Photos by Gao Luchuan / For China Daily

The view over Leshan, a city known for its rich tourism resources and historical heritage.

The Leshan Giant Buddha is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Travel expo to cast spotlight on natural, historical and cultural wonders, Tang Zhihao reports.

Leshan, a city in the southwest of Sichuan province, is making a name for itself among global tourists for its rich tourism resources and historical heritage.

Mount Emei is Leshan's most attractive natural landscape. The mountain, standing at 3,099 meters above sea level, is home to over 3,200 types of plants and 2,300 types of animals. Visitors can experience seasonal changes on Mount Emei, because the temperature drops the higher up you go.

Not far away, the Jinkou Grand Canyon - 26 kilometers long and 2,600 meters deep - is one of the most beautiful canyons in China.

Also found near the city is the Heizhugou National Forest Park, which is dubbed the "Oriental Bermuda Triangle" because there have been many mysterious phenomena in the region at 30 degrees north latitude.

Leshan is famous in China for its more than 2,000 years of Buddhist culture. Mount Emei, home to 26 temples, is one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains in China. The other three are Mount Wutai in Shanxi province, Mount Jiuhua in Anhui province and Mount Putuo in Zhejiang province.

A golden statue of Samantabhadra stands at 48 meters tall on top of Mount Emei, and has become a symbol of the mountain.

The Leshan Giant Buddha, built during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), was carved out of a cliff face at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers. The 71-meter-tall Buddha statue took 90 years to complete. It has, along with Mount Emei, been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.

Apart from Mount Emei and the giant Buddha, Leshan is known for its martial arts and vibrant food culture.

Martial arts in the Emei region is as famous as that of the Shaolin Temple in Henan province and the Wudang Mountains in Hubei province. Many students from around the world will visit Leshan to learn about Emei martial arts.

The Dongfengyan Irrigation System, developed by ancient Leshan residents in 1662, still plays an important role in supporting local life.

Leshan manages to gracefully combine its mountains, rivers, Buddhist culture and urban life. Leshan residents have developed many local delicacies, including the famous street food Malatang (numbing, spicy and hot) hotpot.

Emei mountain tea is recognized as a geographical indication product of China.

Local authorities have identified tourism as a leading industry. Many measures have been taken to develop the city into an international tourist destination and a major hub of Buddhist culture. Leshan's overall tourism income has ranked second-largest in Sichuan province throughout the past few years, according to Leshan authorities.

Aiming to boost the city's global profile, Leshan hosted the second Sichuan International Travel Expo last year, as well as the Emei Global Summit and Pacific Asia Travel Association 2015 annual meeting. The tourism industry has attracted nearly 40 million tourists on average to Leshan over the past few years and contributed 50 billion yuan ($7.49 billion) income to the city's GDP annually.

The third Sichuan International Travel Expo will be held in Leshan between Sept 22 and 28. Exhibitors from 42 countries and regions, including the United States, Germany, France, Malaysia, Japan and South Korea, will participate in the event.

The expo will be an industry communication platform, providing information about tourism resources, products and the current market environment to participants.

Contact the writer at tangzhihao@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 09/22/2016 page15)