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Shanghai
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ITINERARY (Full Day)
Leshan Giant Buddha
The Temple House Cafe
Daci Monastery
Taikoo Li
nugget’s Advice
Prepare in advance
As always in China, try and avoid public holidays and weekend (specially for the Leshan giant buddha). Book a car transfer from Chendu city to Leshan in advance through your hotel (you will need a very early start)
Recommended day/time
Plan to be at Leshan Giant Buddha ticket office at opening time (8 a.m.), which means leaving the city of Chengdu at about 6 a.m. You will beat the crowds and the heat, and be back in the city in time for lunch.
Recommended time of the year
Avoid high summer, which is very hot and humid.
Save Money
The most expensive item is the private car transfer from your Chengdu hotel to visit the Leshan Giant Buddha. You can also reach Leshan through metro, then train, then taxi.
About This Day
This China family itinerary combines the amazing historic site of Leshan Giant Buddha with cool retail opportunities in Chengdu. Trendy Chengdu is the ideal destination for families visiting China. Not only is it a creative city with a great design scene, it’s close enough for a day trip to the tallest carved Buddha in the world. Start early in the morning with a hike at the breath-taking Leshan Giant Buddha park. Take a short boat cruise to view this UNESCO World Heritage site from the water. After an early start and a long hike, come back to the city for an experience in contrasts. After lunch at the kid-friendly Temple House Café, spend the afternoon wandering the Taikoo Li retail complex. This strikingly contemporary establishment has so much for the whole family to explore including a beautiful Buddhist monastery in the midst of its shopping and dining options.
Leshan Giant Buddha
Unnamed Road, Leshan
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The Leshan Giant Buddha (a UNESCO world heritage site) is carved in the rock at the confluence of three rivers. At 70 m (220 ft), it is the tallest carved Buddha in the world. It was built to appease the evil spirits thought to be causing boat accidents and drownings in the delta. Work on the Buddha started in 701 and took 90 years to complete. From the ticket office, walk into the park, up a gently sloping path, to the top of the Buddha, where you can admire the intricate carvings of the statue's head. From there, visitors and pilgrims start the descent alongside the Buddha, down some pretty steep stairs. You can rest at the Buddha's feet and light an incense stick. Once rested, roam the rest of the park, with several pagodas and many more modern-day Buddha statues. On the way out back to the car, you can jump into a boat for a short ride to admire the full length of the Buddha from the river (several cruise ticket offices available).
DIRECTIONS
Travelling with young kids, we preferred to book a car and driver through our hotel. Leshan is about a 2-hour drive from Chengdu city center. The driver will wait for you in the official car park, from which you need to walk 5-10 minute to the ticket office and Leshan Giant Buddha entrance.
TIP
Leshan Giant Buddha is a very famous site in China for Buddhist pilgrims and tourists, so it gets very busy. The queue to hike down the Buddha can be several hours long. If you are visiting on a weekend or a public holiday, do you utmost to arrive at the ticket office when they open at 8 a.m.
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Enter through a Ming dynasty renovated courtyard and continue into the beautifully designed contemporary extension. The hotel offers serviced apartment units with fully functioning kitchen and laundry room - perfect for larger families like us. Making stays memorable is the staff, who are so very friendly and helpful. They greeted the kids with small gifts every day.
DIRECTIONS
Ask your driver to head for the open-air retail and dining complex Taikoo Li in Chengdu city center. The Temple House Cafe is accessible through a pedestrian alleyway, or go through the iconic Temple House Hotel, signs for which are well posted.
TIP
No kids menu per se, but plenty of kid-friendly options and helpful staff.
Daci Monastery
34号-36号 Da Ci Si Lu, Chengdu Shi
FREE
Daci monastery is surrounded by Taikoo Li complex. Daci used to be the largest Buddhist complex in Sichuan. It is a pretty and tranquil place to explore and never seems to get too busy. It’s also small enough not to be overwhelming, yet intricate and diverse enough to captivate children. Let your children run around but observe the Buddhist rites. We gave ours cameras to document their visit, and they loved taking pictures of every nook and cranny.
DIRECTIONS
Daci monastery is right in the middle of the Taikoo Li retail complex. It’s a 5-minute walk from Temple House Cafe.
Taikoo Li
, Chengdu Shi
$$$
Taikoo Li, a fantastically hip and trendy multi-purpose complex, successfully fuses traditional Sichuanese design and clean, contemporary lines. It hosts a huge of retail and dining options, including some hip Chinese brands you will probably have not seen before. Do not miss the Fang Suo Commune book store and concept store. It is architecturally striking and offers a beautiful selection of books, magazines, homeware, toys and clothing. There is a small selection of books in English - including kids’ books. You should be hungry and exhausted after such a long day, so choose a restaurant for a relaxed meal before calling it a day and going back to your hotel.
DIRECTIONS
Taikoo Li is accessible through a high-design entrance and escalators. Maps in both Chinese and English are available throughout.
TIP
The complex is largely pedestrian and does not allow any bikes or mopeds, making it a great place for children to run around. We like to pack mini-scooters or skates to make exploring fun (and less tiring) for little nuggets.
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WE LOVEDEnter through a Ming dynasty renovated courtyard and continue into the beautifully designed contemporary extension. The hotel offers serviced apartment units with fully functioning kitchen and laundry room - perfect for larger families like us. Making stays memorable is the staff, who are so very friendly and helpful. They greeted the kids with small gifts every day.
STAYED04 June, 2017 with 2 year old, 4 year old, 6 year old
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