Facing Emeishan and at the confluence of the Min, Qingyi and Dadu rivers, the 71-metre Giant Buddha of Leshan is the world’s largest stone Buddha image, and at the time of building, between 713 and 803, was the world’s largest statue 90 kilometres from Ya’an, the Buddha now attracts huge numbers of visitors and has helped to alter Leshan’s skyline from a sleepy village to a thriving urban centre. One elderly man takes a sip from his tea flask, a common accessor for many Chinese.