This aerial drone photo shows the Leshan Giant Buddha in southwest China's Sichuan Province, April 18, 2024. Carved out of a hillside in the 8th century, the Leshan Giant Buddha is an area of natural beauty into which the human element has been integrated with skill and subtlety. Facing the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers, the 71 meters tall Giant Buddha of Leshan is one of the most important cultural treasures of China.

The Leshan Giant Buddha was inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list in 1996. (Xinhua/Jiang Hongjing)