Travel Information
Introduction
Mt. Emei is a destination that you can’t miss in Sichuan. The following information will help you plan your trip to Mt. Emei.
1. Introduction to Mt. Emei
Mt. Emei is situated in Emeishan City, Leshan City, Sichuan Province. The scenic area covers 154 km2,and the peak, Wanfo Summit,is 3099 meters above the sea level. Towering, steep and beautiful, Mt. Emei enjoys the fame of “the most beautiful mountain under the heaven”. It has been listed as a Cultural and Natural World Heritage site by UNESCO, and it is one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China, a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Site, a major National Scenic Spots and Historical Site, and an AAAAA-rated national tourist attraction.
Mt. Emei has a varied climate and is covered with rich vegetation, with more than 3,000 species of plants, including rare trees in the world. It is a major characteristic of Mt. Emei that along the trail there are a lot of monkeys, often in groups, extending palms to tourists for food. During ancient times, Mt. Emei was a holy site to learn from the immortals and study Tao, while it is now one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China. As the place of enlightenment of the bodhisattva Samantabhadra, Mt. Emei mainly enshrines and worships bodhisattva Samantabhadra. There are about 26 Buddhist temples, including 8 major ones, holding frequent Buddhist services.
“Mt. Emei towers in the west, reaching the sky”, “The land of Shu (Sichuan) has many mountains of Immortals, among which Mt.Emei is far beyond comparison”, great poet Li Bai (701-762) has countless verses praising Mt. Emei.
2. Geographic and Geomorphic Conditions
Mt. Emei sits at the southwest of the Sichuan Basin, 7 km west of Emeishan City and 37 km east of Leshan City. The scenic area covers 154 km2, and the peak, Wanfo Summit, is 3099 meters above the sea level. The Golden Summit (3079.3 meters above the sea level), where Huazang Temple, the holy site of Buddhism locates, is the highest of all scenic spots in Mt. Emei and also the highest in eastern mainland China.
Mt. Emei Scenic Area covers 154 km2, consisting of Mt. Da’e, Mt. Er’e, Mt. San’e and Mt. Si’e. Mt. Da’e, which is generally referred to as Mt. Emei, is the main mountain.
The Yanshan Movement happened in the late Mesozoic of China’s geologic history has formed the basics of Mt.Emei’s geological structure, while the mass movement in Himalaya and the following uplift of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau created Mt. Emei. Due to the large effusion of basalt in the Paleozoic Era, the lower rock stratum has been protected so as to maintain its height. In addition, the strong carving force of waters inside the mountain has given birth to a landform of “peaks towering amid the canyon” at a height of over 2000 meters. As strata vary, different landforms can be seen along the hiking routes. For example, in the layers of limestone there hide caves like the Jiulao Cave; when passing through granite and metamorphic rock areas, deep gorges can be seen; and on the peak the basalt present another scene of lava platforms.
3. Climate
Mt. Emei is frequently covered in dense cloud and mist, with few sun exposure and ample rainfall. The plain part has a humid subtropical monsoon climate, with the average temperature in January and July reaching 6.9°C and 26.1 °C respectively. Due to high altitude and steep gradient, its vertical climate zones are very obvious. Area at 1500-2100 meters high has a warm temperate climate; area at 2100-2500 meters high enjoys a mid-temperate climate; area at 2500 meters high or above is in the sub-polar zone. Areas at 2000 meters high or above are covered with ice for about half a year from October to April in the following year.
Climate feature of Mt. Emei Scenic Area varies according to the changes in elevation. Areas below Qingyin Pavalion belong to low-elevation area, where plants are abundant with cool wind and limpid springs. Temperature in the area has no big difference from that in the plain; therefore, it is advised to wear additional clothes in the morning and evening. Mid-elevation area means areas from Qingyin Pavalion to the Xixiang Temple, where temperature is 4°C to 5°C lower than that in the plain, so it is necessary for tourists to prepare more clothing. In the high-elevation area, namely, areas from Xixiang Temple to the Golden Summit, people are like walking in the clouds. There are cold winds and sudden downpours in this area, with a temperature that is 10°C lower than that in areas like Baoguo Temple. Tourists can rent cotton-padded overcoat here. There is a boundary line in Mt. Emei, the lower and upper part of which are referred to as rainy region and non-rainy region respectively. As cumulus clouds have weight, they normally stay around the boundary line. As a result, tourists may hear thunders at Golden Summit, but they may not experience the rainfall because it only rains in the rainy region.
4. Kingdom of Plants
Overview: There are more than 5000 species of plants in Mt. Emei, including over 3200 species of higher plants, amounting to the total number of those in the Europe and occupying one-tenth and one-third of the total numbers of plants species in China and Sichuan Province respectively. Thirty-one species are the first batch of state-protected plants, representing 10% of the total number. There are only 8 first-class state-protected plants and Cyatheaceaeas well as Davidiainvolucrate are two of them. In addition, 103 species of plants are named after Emei. The species composition, plant community and flora in Mt. Emei are very rich, with many endemic species and tertiary relict plants. The vertical stratification is very obvious, with rich medicinal plants. There also exist the most typical and best-preserved subtropical vegetation in the world, and a virgin and complete subtropical forest vertical zone. Therefore, Mt. Emei is a treasure chest of the world’s plants, and has won the reputation as the Kingdom of Plants.
There are four vegetation zones in Mt. Emei: evergreen broadleaf forests (below 1500 m), mixed evergreen and deciduous broadleaf forests (1500-2100 m), mixed coniferous and broadleaf forests (2100-2800 m), and subalpine evergreen coniferous forests and shrub and meadow (above 2800 m). The five natural conservation areas are as follows: Alpine Azalea Conservation Area, AbiesFabri Conservation Area, Phoebe Zhennan Conservation Area, Davidia Involucrate Conservation Area and Ecological Monkey Reserve. Ancient and famous trees in Mt. Emei includeCyatheaceae, Gingkgo, AbiesFabri, Cephalotaxusoliveri, Morusmongolica, Cercidiphyllumjaponicum, Manglietiaszechuanica, Davidia Involucrate and Toonaciliate etc.
5. Paradise of Animals
Overview: Mt. Emei, with its perfect ecological environment, provides a breeding paradise for animals. There are 2300 species of wild animals in Mt. Emei, including 157 species of rare as well as endemic ones and 29 species that belong to the first batch of state-protected animals. Wild species of animals are abundant in Mt. Emei, with complete species composition, complex fauna and obvious vertical stratification, including East Asian phylum, South Asian phylum and Plateau phylum. Mt. Emei is a rarely-seen animal concentration area and a well-preserved animal gene bank, possessing high value of scientific research and protection. Therefore, Mt. Emei is the paradise of animals, and a resort reputed for luxuriant shadows and harmony of animals. Famous state-protected animals include Macacathibetana, dead leaf-like butterfly(Kallimainachus), Emei moustache toad(Vibrissaphoraboringii), black stork, Rana adenopleura, red panda, silver pheasant, Mrs Gould's Sunbird (Aethopygagouldiae) and Temminck'stragopan etc.
6. Geological Museum
Overview: The geological evolution of Mt. Emei can be summarized as “It has been gestated for 800 million years, developed for 70 million years and has been further improving for 2 million years”. After thousands of thousands of years’ evolution and countless intense tectonic movements, various types of geologic structures have been formed.As there exist strata of all the 13 geological periods, except middle and late Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian and Carboniferous, Mt. Emei is thus called a Geological Museum.
