The Leshan Giant Buddha in the province of Sichuan — the largest Buddha statue in the world — was partly submerged by ongoing floods in Southern China last week, reports Smithsonian Magazine ...

The Buddha statue, carved into a cliff in Leshan Mountain and overlooking three converging rivers, was built over a 90-year period starting in the year 713, during the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

The 233-foot Leshan Giant Buddha remains a highlight of any visit to the region. Says one avid traveler: It's so big, it's not easy to see. Liu Jin / AFP via Getty Images ...

The Leshan Giant Buddha, or Lingyun Giant Buddha, is the sculpture of a seated Maitreya Buddha located at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers in southern Sichuan Province, close ...

The 233-foot Leshan Giant Buddha in Sichuan, China, is the world's tallest Buddha statue, built in 713 B.C.E. to calm dangerous rivers.