Viña del Mar, the sister city of Valparaíso

 


Only a short bus ride away along the coast, Viña del Mar looks absolutely different from Valparaíso. It is a modern, clean, and characterless beach city with high rise buildings, shopping malls and expensive restaurants and bars.











































































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Leshan (very basic) tourist information with map

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  Many visitors come for just a few hours on a day trip from Chengdu—but that’s a mistake. You need a full day to properly visit the Leshan Giant Buddha , see it from the river, and explore the nearby Oriental Buddha Park and Wuyou Temple hill. At a leisurely pace, it could easily take two days. You can also do a day trip to Emeishan from Leshan by public bus, but in my opinion, it's better to stay overnight there—perhaps in a monastery below the Golden Summit. So, for Leshan alone, you’ll need at least one night, preferably two. The city itself is quite sprawling, modern, and tidy, but it doesn't offer many attractions. The train station is a bit far from the center, but public transport is a good option to reach both the city center and the Leshan Giant Buddha. Below are the tourist basics. 
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Leshan Giant Buddha - Walking tour and boat ride

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