Oriental Buddha Park is a cultural theme park in

Leshan Leshan, formerly known as Jiading or Jiazhou, is a prefecture-level city located at the confluence of the Dadu and Min rivers in Sichuan Province, China. Leshan is located on the southwestern fringe of the Sichuan Basin in southern Sichuan, abou ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

featuring reproductions of Buddhist statues and Buddhist themed carvings made from stone, rock, and other materials. The park is adjacent to the

Leshan Giant Buddha The Leshan Giant Buddha () is a tall stone statue, built between 713 and 803 (during the Tang dynasty). It is carved out of a cliff face of Cretaceous red bed sandstones that lies at the confluence of the Min River and Dadu River in the southe ...

, a tall Buddha statue listed as a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

Private ownership

The park is developed and operated by a private firm on a for profit basis. The land for the park was acquired through expropriation of farmland and relocation of its residents. Compared to the compensation given for farmland for the expansion of the area for the Leshan Giant Buddha, the compensation for the privately run Oriental Buddha Park was higher than the compensation provided by the local government developing the Leshan Giant Buddha. The commercial nature of the park next to a heritage site has attracted commentary from academics. Local Leshan scholars Jiaming Luo and Chunjing Zeng in a conference paper pointed out the profit driven nature of the park invited the question of whether a commercial entity "can become the mediator to revitalize the spirit of heritage". Visitors pay a ticket price to enter the park separate from the entry price of the Leshan Giant Buddha.

Attractions

There are around 3,000 Buddha statues in the park including a 170 meter long sleeping Buddha statue.

References

{{coord missing, Sichuan Outdoor sculptures in China Colossal Buddha statues Amusement parks in China Rock art in China Tourist attractions in Sichuan