Mount Emei (Emeishan)

Atmospheric, Beautiful, Mysterious

Inspiring natural scenery amidst rich Buddhist Heritage
Emeishan has over 30 Buddhist temples scattered throughout the hillside. Some of the large and very old ones are built in traditional style such as Huazang Temple, Baoguo Temple, Qingyin Pavilion, Wannian Temple, Xixiangchi, and Hongchunping.

We headed directly for Golden Summit (Jinding in Chinese), taking the Eco-bus from the foot of the mountain up the windy road to Leidongping. At Jieyin Hall Cable Car Lower Terminal (2,550m), we queued an hour from 9.40am for the ride up to the Upper Terminal (3055m), which took all of 5 minutes. The Swiss-style cars carries 100 passengers per load.

We got off the cable car and stepped into a winter wonderland. The air was frigid and nippy with naked trees covered in powder white snow all around us. Glistening icicles dangled from the eave of the roofs of a hotel, cafe and two temples.

Hike to Golden Summit

We carefully made our way up the snow and ice covered steps, reaching the bottom of the grand staircase after 10 minutes. As it was past 11.00am now, the snow had begun to melt under the blazing sun.

There is the bamboo sedan chair option for those who prefer not to exert themselves, like this young chap.

Golden Summit

Golden Summit is the second highest peak (3,077m) of Mount Emei and the best place to see the four wonders of Mount Emei : the Sunrise, Cloud Sea, Buddha’s Halo and Light of Buddha.

Best viewing time :

• Sunrise : 6:00 in summer, 7:00 in winter
• Cloud Sea : 9:00 ~ 10:00 / 15:00 ~ 16:00
• Buddha’s Halo : 9:00 ~ 10:00 / 15:00 ~ 16:00
• Light of Buddha : night on the beginning or end of the lunar month / when the sun shines again after rain

We arrived at the summit at 11.20am and spent an hour exploring the temples encircling the 65m-long bronze hall while admiring the splendid views.

Believed to be the first Buddhist Temple in China built in the 1st century, Huazang Temple was destroyed by fire in 1973 and rebuilt again in 1990. Perched at an altitude of 3,077m, it is also the Highest Chinese Buddhist Temple.

Today, about 30 of the 76 Qing and Ming monasteries clustered around the three summits of this mist-shrouded massif are still active.  

The Buddha head is composed of three layers with varied expressions, symbolizing Buddhas in previous, present, future life.

Sorry, I couldn’t resist taking pictures from every conceivable angle 😁

Sea of Clouds

The Ten Thousand Buddha Summit (Wanfoding Peak) is the highest peak of Mount Emei, with an altitude of 3,099m. Peeking out above the sea of clouds is a majestic pavilion, soaring 21 meters atop the summit.

Though it was just 1km further along the ridge, we could only look from afar as the site has been closed since 2006 to protect the environment.

Finally, after 15 years, the highest peak of Emeishan, Wanfoding finally reopened to the public (<60 years) on 27 May 2021.

Self-sacrificing Cliff

Our wanderings around the immense bronze hall brought us to Woyun Nunnery, the highest Chinese Han Buddhist monastery at an elevation of 3,065m. Sitting by the side of a cliff, the simplicity of this silver roofed temple makes it stand out from the golden temples.

Making our way down via a different route, we descended a long staircase to the plateau below, following the right curving path.

Looking back up the mountain, I totally got how self-sacrificing cliff earned its name.

During ancient times, newly enlightened individuals would plunge to their deaths by jumping off from here, prompting officials in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties to install fences to prevent suicides.

Hiking Mount Emei

Hiking up Mount. Emei is the best way to experience the local culture and its wonderful nature. Sitting at the western rim of the Sichuan Basin, the four scenic regions are connected by a network of old stepped trails that wind through forests of twisted pines and waterfalls from the base to the summit.

A popular pilgrimage destination for the last 1,800 years, today Mount Emei offers an opportunity to ‘follow in the footsteps of monks’ while enjoying beautiful mountain views. With more than 60 kilometers’ of stone-paved walking paths, hikers may choose from 2 to 4-day trekking routes.

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Leshan Giant Buddha

Leshan Giant Buddha is the largest and tallest stone Buddha sculpture in the world. Carved on the rock cliff of Mt. Lingyun during the Tang Dynasty, the 1,300 year old statue sits at the junction of three rivers: the Min River, Qingyi River, and Dadu River.

Located to the east of Leshan City and facing the sacred Mount Emei, its head reaches the top of the mountain while its feet are level with the river.

90 years in the making

The construction of the Giant Buddha was initiated by a monk named HaiTong, to calm the turbulent waters that plagued shipping vessels traveling down the rivers. It was believed then, that the frequent floods at the confluence of the Min River, Qingyi River and Dadu River was caused by the presence of a water spirit.

So Monk HaiTong decided to carve a statue beside the river with the belief that the Buddha would bring the water spirit under control. 

Carving work commenced in AD 713, and had reached the shoulders but was suspended when Monk HaiTong passed away.

There are two ways to see the Giant Buddha. One is hiking up Lingyun Mountain for an intimate view of Buddha’s body from multiple perspectives. Or, enjoy the panoramic view from the three rivers that intersect at its base by taking a boat ride!

Viewing by Foot (2- 4 hours)
Starting at the Leshan Scenic Area, visitors get onto a terrace next to an enormous right ear. The path continues along the back of the massive head all the way across to the left side.

The Nine Bends Plank Road is a windy road built on the right cliff of the Giant Buddha. Starting from the Buddha head, this steep path has nine turns and a total of 217 steps, ending at the bottom, beside his toe nail. Visitors may only go in one direction and in single file, as the widest part of the road is 1.45m and the narrowest part is only 0.6m.

At the bottom, one can truly appreciate the sitting Buddha’s immensity!
Fact : his instep can hold about 100 people, and a seated person can fit on his tiniest toenail.

From the bottom, the return journey is via a passage at the left cliff. The walking path leads you through the mountain alongside the river, under the watchful eyes of the left guardian.

Then it’s up a narrow zig zag path to the mountain top, bringing you to the left side of the head and back to the starting point.

Sightseeing Boat Ride (30 – 45 mins)

While I would have liked to see Leshan Giant Buddha up close, I did enjoy the scenic boat trip we took at 4.00pm, seeing a different side of Leshan City.

Giant Sleeping Buddha

Another magic of nature can be observed when 3 mountains line up to form the shape of a sleeping Buddha floating peacefully on the water with the outline of the limbs clearly defined. The head of the Giant Sleeping Buddha is Wuyou Mountain, with the stone, bamboo forest and temple on the mountain representing the five senses. The body of the Sleeping Buddha is Lingyun Mountain, and Guicheng Mountain forms the feet. The entire Giant Sleeping Buddha stretches over 4000 meters from south to north, with its head at the south end.

Visited 13 April 2013

Emeishan
As one of the most influential Buddhist sites, Emeishan or Mount Emei is one of “Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains in China. Emeishan is home to the first Buddhist temple in China further cementing its cultural importance of introducing Buddhism to China. 

Covering an area of 154sqm, Emeishan extends upwards for more than 200km reaching a height of 3,099m above sea level. The mountain's two towering peaks appear to face each other, resembling the delicate eyebrows of a Chinese classic beauty - long and slender. ‘Emei’ means ‘the delicate eyebrows’ in Chinese.

The mountain has diverse and lush vegetation, ranging from subtropical to subalpine pine forests. Some of the trees are estimated to be over 1,000 years old. 

Leshan Giant Buddha
Carved between AD 713 and 803 (during the Tang dynasty) on a mountain rock cliff by the river, Leshan Giant Buddha is the largest and tallest stone Buddha statue in the world. Sitting on the confluence of three rivers in Leshan, the Buddha sculpture took 90 years to complete is by far the tallest pre-modern statue in the world at 71m.

The Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area, has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. Located in the Sichuan Province in Western China, Emeishan is about 140km from downtown Chengdu and 45km from Leshan.