Leshan

Geography and Climate

Leshan, known as Jiazhou in ancient times, is a national cultural and historical city. Lies on the lower stream of Min River, Leshan borders Meishan to its north while on its south and east lie Yibin and Zigong separately. With 11 districts, counties municipality and autonomous counties under its jurisdiction, Leshan has 3.5 million people living in its 128, 00 sq kilometers land. At the center of the city there is a green area covering 8.7 sq kilometers, which is regarded as the green heart of the city. As a prefecture-level city under administration of Sichuan government, the city is the first cooperative city in China with UN Urban Management Program.

Located in the subtropical zone, the city has a humid climate with the two-season monsoonal variations typical of South Asia. Its summers are among the hottest in China with the temperature can be as high as 43 centi-degrees. The annual average temperature in Leshan is around 17centi-degrees with the even precipitation accounts for 1439.2 mm.

Tourism

Leshan City is a renowned tourist resort as it boasts the 'No.1 Buddha under Heaven' - Leshan Giant Buddha scenic area (including the Giant Sleeping Buddha) and Mt. Emeishan scenic area which is renowned for four spectacles - Sunrise, Cloud Sea, Buddha Rays and Saint Lamps. There are many Buddhist temples in these scenic areas including Wuyou Temple, Lingyun Temple, Baoguo Temple, Hufu Temple, Wannian Temple to name but a few. Notable scenic resorts in the surrounding area are: Wutongqiao (nicknamed 'Small West Lake') which is an ancient waterside town located 24 kilometers (about 15 miles) south of Leshan City; Luocheng Ancient Town which is well-known for its ship like appearance located 60 kilometers (about 37 miles) northeast of Jianwei County in Leshan City. Moreover, Leshan is the hometown of Guo Moruo (1892-1978) a famous Chinese literary figure. The Former Residence of Guo Moruo located in Shawan District is also an attractive scenic spot.