Visitors are dwarfed by the massive 71m-tall Leshan Giant Buddha, which took 90 years to carve out from the hills.

THOUGH I have seen photographs of Jiuzhaigou Valley and watched movies set against the backdrop of this scenic spot, nothing quite matches the breathtaking sight that greeted me when I set foot in the famed valley.

It being autumn, the foliage took on a gorgeous golden hue. Set this against the undulating snow-capped mountains, blue sky and green waters, and it was a sight to behold.

According to my guide, autumn is the peak tourist season when visitors from all corners of earth flock to Sichuan province just to catch a glimpse of China's most famous nature reserve.

Located far from industrialised areas, the air here is especially crisp and refreshing, a cool respite for city dwellers.

Literally translated as the "nine stockade gully", Jiuzhaigou is so named because the area was originally home to nine Tibetan tribal stockades.

My trip took me to Shuzheng Gully, Zechawa Gully and Rize Gully, three of six main areas which most tourists visit. Together, these three gullies form a "Y" shape and provide great phototaking opportunities.

I wished I could stay there for eternity. But it was not to be.

The next day, I bade farewell to Jiuzhaigou and headed to Songpan Ancient Town, a historical site built to commemorate the Long March.

Completed in 1989, the Long March Memorial is a group of elaborate and majestic carvings made from some 1,300 pieces of granite depicting the heroism, hardships and the ultimate triumph of the Communist Red Army in its struggle to overthrow the Nationalist regime.

Our next stop at Leshan offered something quite different. It was where we stood in awe of the 71m-tall Leshan Giant Buddha carved out from the hills.

Our guide gave us a little introduction of its history:

Legend has it that because the area was plagued by frequent floods, Tang Dynasty monk Hai Tong decided to raise funds to build a Buddha statue so that the people could call upon the Buddha's powers to calm the rivers.

A local official tried to tax the construction funds, to which Hai Tong replied: "I'd rather lose my eyes than give you money meant for the Buddha."

The official retorted: "Try me."

Emei Shan is one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains in China. [Photo: ASA Holidays]

The monk then dug out his own eyes right before the startled official. Hai Tong's sacrifice motivated many to chip in for the project. But because of its massive scale, even with funding from the Imperial Court, it took 90 years before the Giant Buddha was completed in AD803.

You can easily line 100 people side-by-side on the Buddha's two giant feet - an indication of how gigantic it is.

Emei Shan, one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains in China, was where we went next. We took a cable car up to the Golden Summit monastery, which, at 3,099m, is the highest point of the mountain.

The breathtaking views notwithstanding, we took time to learn about the thousands of Buddha sculptures and giant bells inside the monastery.

The tour also took us to the Jiangkou Han Tombs that date from the Han Dynasty, and the Luodai Ancient Town, which teleported us back to the Qin Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago.

In between, we had a relaxing moment at Daying, which is a new tourism and health-care resort where we enjoyed salt-based therapies.

__________________________

Fairyland Jiuzhaigou

ASA Holidays is offering an eight-day Fairyland Jiuzhaigou With China's Dead Sea Value Tour. You will fly on SilkAir, stay three nights at five-star hotels, enjoy a complimentary performance of the popular musical Jinsha and indulge in authentic Sichuan cuisine.

Call ASA Holidays on 6303-5333 for more information.