Emei Mountain Golden Summit
Name in Chinese: 峨眉山 é Méi Shān [ə’meisæ]
Duration of Tour: One day or Three Days
Location: Leshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China
Highlights: Hiking, Natural Beauty and Buddhist Culture
Must-see Sightseeing Spots: Golden Summit, Baoguo Monastery, Wannian Monastery
Reputations: A World Natural and Cultural Heritage Site, A National Five-star Scenic Area, A State-level Key Historical and Cultural Relic Site under Protection, One of the Top Four Buddhist Holy Mountains in China
Emei Mountain is situated in the southwest of Sichuan Basin, about 150km(93 miles) away from downtown Chengdu. It was listed together with Leshan Giant Buddha as a world natural and cultural heritage site by UNESCO in 1996. The mountain is famous for its natural beauty and Buddhist culture. There is a popular saying about its beauty in China. It goes that no mountain under the heaven can rival Mount Emei in its elegance and beauty.
The mountain is known as the Kingdom of Plants and the Paradise of Creatures. Its ecological environment nurtures numerous kinds of plants and species of creatures. The forest coverage in the mountain is 87%. It is defined into five vegetation belts according to vertical zones. The five vegetation belts are a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, an evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved mixed forest, a coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest, a sub-alpine coniferous forest and a sub-coniferous shrubs. The number of verified plant species in the mountain is about 3,200, occupying 10% of the total in China. Emei Mountain is inhabited by over 2,300 species of creatures, comprising 51 mammals, 256 birds, 34 reptiles, 33 amphibians, 60 fishes, 42 oligochaetes and over 1,000 insects. The famous plants and creatures in the mountain are orchid, azalea, monarch butterfly and monkey.
The mountain is shrouded in ever-hanging mist, clothed with fir trees, pines and cedars. A picturesque landscape is created with lofty crags, cloud-kissing precipices, dancing butterflies, singing birds, murmuring streams, blooming azaleas, snaking footpaths and monasteries sheltered by verdant trees. The whole mountain is dressed in emerald in spring, embellished with gorgeous azalea flowers in summer, covered by multi-colored forest in autumn, and snow-wrapped in winter. Emei Mountain is also celebrated for its four wonders of natural phenomena on the Golden Summit. The four wonders include the sun rise, the sea of clouds, the Buddhist Hallo, and the sacred lamp.
As the holy land of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, Mount Emei is rich in Buddhist culture. It is one of the Top 4 Buddhist mountains in China. The other three are Jiuhua Mountain, Wutai Mountain and Putuo Mountain. Samantabhadra is one of the four most popular Bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism. According to Huayan Scripture, the meaning of Samantabhadra infers that his moral conduct is boundless and immeasurable. His name indicates universal benevolence. He is in charge of helping people to realize their good wishes. He rides a six-tusked white elephant. The six tusks symbolize the Six Perfections of Mahayana Buddhism, including the Perfection of Generosity, the Perfection of Morality, the Perfection of Patience, the Perfection of Energy, the Perfection of Meditation, the Perfection of Wisdom. These are guides for practice of Mahayana Buddhism. Buddhism spread to Emei Mountain in the Jin Dynasty(265-420). It is said that Samantabhadra Bodhisattva revealed himself in the mountain many times. That is the reason why Emei Mountain has become the holy land of Samantabhadra.
The altitude ranges from 530 meters(1,739 feet) to 3,099 meters(10,167 feet) above sea level. It covers an area of 154 square kilometers(59 sq.mi). The whole mountain consists of three scenic areas, including Baoguo Monastery Scenic Area, Wannian Monastery Scenic Area and the Golden Summit Scenic Area. There were over 100 monasteries in the mountain in ancient time. However, 26 monasteries are preserved. Baoguo Monastery, Wannian Monastery and Huazang Monastery are commonly considered as the top three monasteries in Mount Emei.
Baoguo Monastery
Baoguo Monastery is located at the foot of the mountain. It was built in 1651, founded by a Taoist priest, Mingguang Master. He felt sorry that Taoists and Buddhists struggled for gaining more followers in ancient time. The master vowed to build a monastery that would contain the figures of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. By the support of local officials, the monastery was completed in one year. It was originally named as Hui Zong Hall. Hui Zong means religions assembled. Memorial tablets were placed in the hall for worship, which were devoted to Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, Taoist Guangchengzi Master, and Confucian Lu Tong. In 1702, Kangxi Emperor of Qing Dynasty renamed the monastery as Baoguo Monastery. Baoguo means dedicating oneself to the service of his own country.
There are four main buildings placed on a east to west axis in the architectural complex. The buildings are Maitreya Hall, Mahavira Hall, Seven Buddhas Hall and Samantabhadra Hall.
According to the traditional Chinese architectural practice, Maitreya Hall is generally placed behind the entrance gate as the front building of Buddhist monasteries. It contains four huge statues. The statues are usually made of wood or earth. They are called the Four Heavenly Kings. The heavenly kings serve as protectors of lands in four directions. They stand on both sides of the hall. The image of Maitreya Buddha is flanked the four kings. He is also known as the Laughing Buddha among Chinese people. He has a big belly, always sitting with leg crossed. The big belly conveys that he has good patience.
Veda always stands behind Maitreya. He is holding his weapon, a pestle. Veda serves as the guardian of Buddhism. He is considered as the No.1 warrior in Buddhism. It is said that Veda protected the body of Siddhartha, the founder of Buddhism, when some devils stole it away after the founder passed away. Veda is always facing the Mahavira Hall.
Mahavira means great hero or great Buddha. The hall is called Great Buddha Hall in Chinese. It is commonly the primary building in every Buddhist monasteries. The hall is commonly built to commemorate Siddhartha. Sakyamuni is a title granted to Siddhartha by his disciples. Some times, the Great Buddha Hall is placed with three Buddhas or seven Buddhas for worship. In Baoguo Monastery, the hall is dedicated to Sakyamuni Buddha. There are some other statues placed in the hall. The top two disciples of Siddhartha stand closely to the main Buddha. They serve as the assistants of Sakyamuni Buddha. The images of top eighteen Arhats flank the statue of Sakyamuni near the walls on both sides.
The image of Amitabha is laid behind the Mahavira Hall. He is the chief master in the Pure Happy Land in the West. He is facing the Seven Buddhas Hall. According to the Buddhist scripture, six Buddhas mastered the world one after another before Siddhartha descended to our world. The six Buddhas and Siddhartha are called together as the Seven Generations of the Main Buddha. There are several images behind the Seven Buddhas Hall. The biggest one is Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, called Guanyin in Chinese. He is considered as the symbolization of benevolence and rescue.
The building in the backyard is devoted to Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. It is called Samantabhadra Hall. He is riding a six-tusked white elephant. According to the traditional Chinese architectural practice, the building laid at the end of the axis is the most important. Since Emei Mountain is the holy place of Samantabhadra, the hall devoted to him is placed in last along the axis.
Golden Summit
Golden Summit is 3,077 meters(10,095 feet) above sea level. The sightseeing spots on the summit include the Copper Hall, the Silver Hall, the Golden Hall, the Copper Statue of Samantabhadra, the Hall of Avalokitesvara, the Viewing Terrace and the Cliff of Self-sacrifice. The terrace and the cliff are the ideal places on the summit for visitors to view the Four Natural Wonders. The wonders are the Sunrise, the Sea of Clouds, the Buddhist Halo, and the Sacred Lamp.
Huazang Monastery
Located on the Golden Summit, Huazang Monastery is also called the Copper Hall. Its full name is the Light Everlasting Huazang Monastery. It is said to be the earliest Buddhist monastery built in Mount Emei. According to the historical records, in the Eastern Han Dynasty, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva revealed himself on the Golden Summit. It was witnessed by an aged man, Pu Gong. In order to commemorate the occasion, Pu Gong built a temple and named it as Puguang Hall or Zudian Hall. Emperor Shenzong of Ming Dynasty renamed the temple as Light Everlasting Huazang Monastery during his reign(1573-1620). In 1854, a statue of Samantabhadra was placed in the hall for worship. He was riding an elephant. The statue was copper cast and presented by Dalai Lama from Tibet. However, Huazang Monastery was destroyed several time by conflagrations. Reconstruction of the present buildings began in 1986, and completed in 1990.
Woyun Nunnery
Standing side by side, Woyun Nunnery is called the Silver Hall, because of its tin-tiled roof. It was built during Jiajing Period(1522-1560) of Ming Dynasty.
Golden Peak Hall
Above the Copper Hall, the Golden Peak Hall is the highest building on the Golden Summit. It is devoted to Samantabhadra Bodhisattva.
The Statue of Samantabhadra
It is a gold-gilded statue, made of copper, 620 tons in weight, and 48 meters(157 feet) in height. The statue was completed in 2006. It is the largest statue of Samantabhadra in the world.
The Four Natural Wonders on the Golden Summit
The Four Natural Wonders are the Sunrise, the Sea of Clouds, the Buddhist Halo and the Sacred Lamp. Visitors are able to view the sun rise over the summit about 200 days a year. But they have to stay overnight in a hotel on the summit. It is a three-star level hotel with quite a high accommodation price. The Sea of Clouds is most likely to appear in summer and autumn. The Buddhist Halo only occurs about 80 times a year. The Sacred Lamp is enabled to appear with four natural conditions. It happens at mid-night after the rain has just stopped, when there is no moon in the sky, no cloud below the peak, and no breeze on the mountaintop. Compared with the halo, it is even less probable to view the Sacred Lamp.
Wannian Monastery
Wannian Monastery was built in 401, founded by Huichi Master of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. It was originally named as Samantabhadra Monastery or Puxian Monastery in honor of Samantabhadra. The monastery was reconstructed and renamed as White-water Monastery in the Tang Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Shenzong, it was destroyed by fire. The emperor had people reconstruct the monastery and renamed it as “Shengshou Wannian Monastery”. Shengshou means “imperial longevity”, and Wannian “10,000 years”. The current buildings in the monastery could be dated back to 1600. The main buildings in the monastery include Maitreya Hall, Avalokitesvara Hall, the Domed Hall and Mahavira Hall. It is the largest monastery in the whole mountain. The highlight is the Domed Hall. It is called Wuliang Hall. Wuliang means ‘no beam”. The hall is made of bricks without any beam or pillar. It is considered as a feat of architectonics. A copper-cast statue of Samantabhadra is placed in the hall. Emperor Taizong of Song Dynasty(939-997) offered 150 kilograms(330 pounds) of gold for casting the statue. It was completed in 980. Samantabhadra is riding his six-tusks white elephant. The statue is 7.38 meters(24 feet) in height, 62 tons in weight.
Fuhu Monastery
Fuhu Monastery is located nearby Baoguo Monastery. It was originally built in the Jin Dynasty9266-420). The present buildings could be traced back to 1651. It has three wonders, including an inscription written by Emperor Kangxi(1654-1722), a copper pagoda, and the hall of Arhats. The inscription reads Ligou Yuan. It means literally “no-dust yard’. All the buildings of the monastery are sheltered and intertwined with tall trees, but it is incredible that the withered branches and leaves fall but never remain on the roofs of the buildings all year around. Upon hearing it, Emperor Kangxi composed the inscription. The inscribed board still hangs on the entrance of Puxian Hall. The Copper Pagoda was cast in 1342, and moved to the monastery in 1982. The pagoda has 7 sides and 14 stories. It is 5.8 meters(19 feet) in height. Its surface is carved with the Buddhist Huayan Scripture and 4,700 Buddhist figure images. The Hall of 500 Arhats is place at the right of the Grand Buddha Hall. There are 499 statues of Arhats in the hall. Why is it called Five Hundred Arhats’ Hall? Because there is always a monk at the entrance of the hall burning incense, 499 statues plus one monk is 500 Arhats. When Chinese people go to visit the Five Hundred Arhats’ Hall, they usually count the Arhats for fortunetelling. Walking along the rows of Arhats, a visitor starts counting in random by the number of his or her age. The image he stops at has its own number and name. He tells the monk the number or name, and takes a note back. People often do it just for play.
Qingyin Pavilion Monastery
Qingyin Pavilion Monastery is located at the place where the Black Dragon Stream and the White Dragon Stream converge. It was built in the Tang Dynasty, and rebuilt several times. The present buildings was completed in 1917. One of the top ten landscapes can be viewed near the monastery, which is called the Two Bridges with Qingyin Pavilion.
Monkey’s Territory
There are around three hundred monkeys inhabiting the mountain. They are divided into three groups. They belong to Tibetan Macaque family. The monkeys are fierce and aggressive. When you come across them, you’d better to keep a certain distance from them.
Hongchun Monastery
Hongchun Monastery was built in Emperor Shenzong’ reign. It is located under Tianchi Peak, 1,120 meters(3675 feet) above sea level. It is one of the top ten landscapes in the mountain, which is called the Morning Rain at Hongchun Monastery.
Xianfeng Monastery
Xianfeng Monastery was built in 1281. It is named after a cliff nearby, Xianfeng Cliff. In fact, Emei Mountain is also a famous Taoist mountain. It is the No.7 Celestial Cavern in Taoism. There is no Taoist temple in the mountain at present. But we can still find some traces of Taoism in the mountain. For example, both Taoist gods and Buddhas are worshiped in Xianfeng Monastery. Xianfeng Monastery is the ideal place for hikers to spend the first night during their hiking.
Travel Tips:
How to Visit Emei Mountain
One-day Golden Summit Tour
Take the sightseeing shuttle at Baoguo Bus Station or Huangwan Bus Station to Leidongping Bus Station, then walk about one and a half kilometers to the Jieyin Hall Cable Car Station. Ascend to the Golden Summit by cable car.
One-day Golden Summit with Wannian Monastery Tour
In the early morning, take the sightseeing shuttle at Baoguo Bus Station or Huangwan Bus Station to Leidongping Bus Station, then walk up to Jieyin Hall Cable Car Station, Ride the cable car to the Golden Summit. Descend to Leidongping Bus Station along the same way. Afterwards be transferred to Wannian Bus Station, and take cable car up to Wannian Monastery. After paying a visit to the monastery, step downhill along the winding path to WuxianGang Bus Station. On the way, you may pass by the White Dragon Cavern and Qingyin Pavilion.
Three-days Hiking Tour
Start hiking from Wannian Bus Station, pass by Shengci Nunnery. Then pay a visit to Wannian Monastery, and step downhill along the way to Qingyin Pavilion via the White Dragon Cavern. Afterwards, walk uphill along the path to Xianfeng Monastery, passing by the Monkey’s Territory and Hongchun Monastery. Spend the first night in Xianfeng Monastery. Keep trekking along the path to Golden Summit via Yuxian Monastery, Xixiang Monastery(Washing Elephant Pool), Leidongping Terrace, Jieyin Monastery. View the sunset and spend the second night on the Golden Summit.. After watching the sunrise on the Golden Summit, take the cable car and sightseeing shuttle down to the foot of the mountain.
Photography Tips
When the sky is clear and bright, you may get a beautiful view of the Sea of Clouds under the summit and the far mountain ridges. Sometimes, even the highest mountain Minya Konka may appear in your visual range. You need to prepare both of your telephoto lenses and wide angle lenses. The Two Bridges with Qingyin Pavilion is also an ideal place for photography. A wide angle lens is needed.
Recommended Tour:
Two-Days World Natural and Cultural Dual Heritage Tour
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Author: Tina Luo
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