Scenic Spot Name: Rong County Grand Buddha Cultural Tourism Zone

Address: Grand Buddha Temple, Dafu Road, Xuyang Town, Rong County, Zigong City Inquiry Hotline: 0813-6204535

Rong County Grand Buddha Temple Scenic Area is located in the southeast of the old town of Rong County, 34 kilometers away from Zigong. Endowed with abundant tourism resources and profound cultural connotations, it is one of Sichuan’s oldest and most distinctive tourist resorts, hailed as "An Ancient Temple of a Thousand Years, Blessed Land of Tathagata".

Carved in the Tang Dynasty, the Rong County Grand Buddha stands 36.67 meters tall. It ranks the world’s second-largest stone-carved Buddha statue and the world’s largest stone-carved Sakyamuni statue. Chiseled right into the mountain cliff, the Buddha’s head levels with the mountain peak, exuding magnificent momentum with a solemn, well-proportioned and vivid figure. Having endured over a thousand years, the statue remains fully intact and stands as an artistic treasure among China’s stone carving relics. It was listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level in 2006.

The temple housing the Buddha was named Kaihua Temple during the Tang and Song dynasties. Built along the mountain terrain, the whole complex stretches east and west centered on the Grand Buddha. It mainly consists of the Mountain Gate Hall, Mahavira Hall, Ksitigarbha Hall, Guanyin Hall, Bodhidharma Hall, Arhat Hall and Buddhist Scripture Repository. The ancient serene temple buildings scatter in a well-arranged layout. This millennium-old temple boasts a wealth of cultural and natural landscapes complementing each other: ancient architecture with upturned flying eaves, exquisitely carved Tang and Song cliff statues, precious displayed cultural relics, as well as elegant tranquil mountain and water scenery. It serves as a unique venue for visitors to appreciate and experience Chinese grotto culture and Buddhist culture.

Rong County Grand Buddha Temple is now being upgraded to a national AAAA-level scenic spot. Tourism infrastructure including an ecological parking lot, characteristic walking trails, tourist service center and three-star public restrooms has been completed and put into operation. The safe, comfortable and picturesque tourist environment guarantees you a relaxing and pleasant trip.

The scenic area is 229 kilometers from Chengdu. Two travel routes from Chengdu are available: Route 1: Take Chengdu-Ya’an Expressway, transfer to Chengdu-Leshan Expressway to Leshan. Leshan is 98 kilometers away from the scenic area with smooth road conditions. Route 2: Pass Longquan, Jianyang, Ziyang, Zizhong and Neijiang to reach Zigong. The Zigong-Rong County Express Road links Zigong and Rong County, covering a total length of 34 kilometers. It takes only 30 minutes to drive directly from Zigong to the scenic spot with highly convenient transport.

Taking a taxi within the urban area to the scenic spot is convenient, with fares under 10 RMB. Special public bus lines also run directly to the site.

Within 2 kilometers of the scenic area lie multiple star-rated hotels:

Standard rooms cost 80–280 RMB per night. All the above hotels serve Chinese cuisine with an average per capita consumption of about 30 RMB. Around the scenic spot are numerous local specialty eateries offering mutton offal soup, soft tofu rice and other classic dishes, with an average per capita cost of roughly 15 RMB.

Longdu fragrant tea series, Xushui liquor series, handcrafted silk quilts, Grand Buddha-themed tourist souvenirs, etc.

As early as the Tang and Song dynasties, Rong County Grand Buddha Temple became one of Sichuan’s sacred Buddhist sites. Since the Tang Dynasty, folk temple fairs have been spontaneously held every year on the 8th day of the fourth lunar month, the birthday of the Grand Buddha, a tradition that has lasted for centuries. Derived from this tradition are various festive events featuring the Grand Buddha culture: Grand Buddha Cultural Tourism Festival, Guanyin Temple Fair, Laba Festival, Incense Worship Fair, Grand Buddha Cultural Lantern Show and more, which uniquely interpret the Grand Buddha culture of Rong County.

Entrance ticket: 60 RMB per person Professional guided tour: 60 RMB per session