Mount Emei - Top Buddhist Mountain in Sichuan

Mount Emei, also Emeishan Mountain, is one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China and regarded as the Bodhimanda, or place of enlightenment, of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra (Pu Xian Pu Sa普贤菩萨 in Chinese). At 3099 meters, Mount Emei is more than 1000 meters higher than the other three Buddhist sacred mountains.

Mount Emei has been inscribed as a World Heritage Site for its enchanting scenic beauty, and great spiritual and cultural importance because of its role in the introduction of Buddhism into China. It was originally a Taoist retreat and first Buddhist temple in China was built on the summit of Mount Emei in the 1st century CE. It became the Guangxiang Temple and changed to Huazang Temple in 1614. There are other more than 30 Buddhist temples, ten of them are large and very old in traditional style and built on hillsides, including Baoguo Temple, Fuhu Temple, Qingyin Pavilion, Wannian Temple, Hongchunping, Xianfeng Temple, Xixiangchi, Huazang Temple. On the Golden Summit, if lucky, travelers can catch the rare chance to experience the Four Wonders of Mount Emei – the Buddha’s Halo (rainbow-like rings that surround and move with your shadow), the Sea of Clouds, the Divine Lights and the Golden Summit Sunrise.