Emei Mountain 

Location: Sichuan Province        Emei Mountain map

Summary: If you are into Chinese martial arts, you should know and visit this place. =P

Description:Emei Shan (a.k.a. Emeishan, Mt. O-mei or Mt. Emei), in Szechuan province, is one of the four Buddhist sacred mountains of China. At 3,099m, Mt. Emei is more than 1,000m higher than the other three Buddhist sacred mountains.
Mt. Emei has been designated a World Heritage Site thanks to its breathtaking scenery, mysterious natural wonders,Emei Shan is 130 kilometres from Chengdu in Leshan County and should without doubt be combined with a visit to the Giant Buddha. Accommodation is provided at both the peak and base of Mt Emei. The four key scenic sites are Baoguo Temple, Qingyin Pavilion, Wannian Temple, and Golden Summit.

Located in the southwest of Emei County, Sichuan Province, the Emei Mountain is one of the four Buddhist shrines. The mountain is known for its stiff cliffs, high rising peaks, roaring waterfalls, gurgling springs, towering ancient trees and fragrant flowers. It has been described as "a beauty spot under heaven" by Chinese poets since ancient times. The highest peak of the mountain is 3,099 meters above sea level. The total rugged road to its. summit is 75 kilometers long. In the Eastern Han Dynasty(25-220), monks and priests came to the mountain to build temples. Construction lasted l,800 years. The Emei mountain is regarded as the "capital of fairyland and kingdom of monks".

There are plenty of historical sites, and a lot of precious cultural relics on the mountain. Inside Baoguo. Temples a Large china statue of Buddha with a height of 2.4 meters made in the Ming Dynasty, looks alive bright and shining. A big bell, also made in the Ming Dynasty with a weight of 12.5 tons, has more than 60,000 characters on it. The sound produced by the bell is deep, and its echo spreads as far as 15 kilometers. Fuhu Temple, the biggest Buddhist temple on the mountain, has 13 halls. In the temple, a 6-metre 17-storeyed bronze tower made in the Yuan Dynasty(1271-1368) has some 4,700 engraved Buddhist figurines on it. The 20,000-character Huayan Sutras are well preserved in the temple.

Wannian Temple has a huge bronze statue of Samantab-hadra mounted on a white elephant made in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The bronze is 7.35 meters high and weighs 62 tons. Inside the the temple, there are several hundred other bronze or iron statues. The Copper Hall with a gold-plated roof in Woyun Temple, built in the Ming Dynasty on the mountain top, is eight meters high, 4.8 meters wide and 4.3 meters deep. The whole body of the hall was made of copper with a gold plated roof inside the hall, there is a five-meter high bronze statue of Samantabhadra mounted on an elephant and 24 bronze Buddhist images. Outside the hall is a bronze tablet, on which 2,564 characters were engraved by calligraphers Wang Xizhi of the Eastern Jin Dynasty(317-420)and Chu Suiliang of the Tang Dynasty(618-907).

  Emei Shan literally means "Delicate Eyebrow Mountain" ----  it derives its name from two peaks which face each other and look like the delicate eyebrows of a Chinese classic beauty.

Emei Shan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring many temples, natural wonders and breathtaking scenery. The slopes incorporate several different climates and much wildlife, especially birds and trees. Some of the trees are more than 1,000 years old.

There are also monkeys, who are accustomed to tourists and assertive; they aren't dangerious but will beg for food and grab at bags as hikers walk along the trails. Many hikers carry walking sticks to shoo them away.

There are over 30 Buddhist temples on Emei Shan, 10 of which are large and very old. They are considered masterpieces of creative ingenuity in the way they adapt to the natural enviroment and beauty of the holy mountain.

 There are plenty of historical sites, and a lot of precious cultural relics on the mountain. Inside Baoguo. Temples a Large china statue of Buddha with a height of 2.4 meters made in the Ming Dynasty, looks alive bright and shining. A big bell, also made in the Ming Dynasty with a weight of 12.5 tons, has more than 60,000 characters on it. The sound produced by the bell is deep, and its echo spreads as far as 15 kilometers.
Fuhu Temple, the biggest Buddhist temple on the mountain, has 13 halls. In the temple, a 6-metre 17-storeyed bronze tower made in the Yuan Dynasty(1271-1368) has some 4,700 engraved Buddhist figurines on it. The 20,000-character Huayan Sutras are well preserved in the temple.
 
There are over 30 Buddhist temples on Emei Shan, 10 of which are large and very old. They are considered masterpieces of creative ingenuity in the way they adapt to the natural enviroment and beauty of the holy mountain.

At the mountain base is Baoguo Monastery, built in the 16th century. The monastery has serene gardens with rare plants, a library of sutras and a huge porcelain Buddha. In the stone staircase of the rear hall are figures of the Eight Immortals, betraying the temple's Taoist origins.
Pugong, a medicinal plant farmer, built the Puguang Hall on the Golden Summit in the 1st century AD. In the 3rd century, the Puxian form of Buddhism (which centers on devotion to the Bodhisattva Puxian, or Samantabhadra) became dominant on Emei and the Chinese monk Huichi built the Puxian Temple (now the Wannian Temple) at the foot of the Guanxinpo Terrace.

In the mid-9th century, the Song Emperor Zhao Kuangyin sent a Buddhist mission headed by Master Jiye to India. On his return he was authorized to build temples on Mount Emei, where he preached and translated the
Indian Buddhist texts. He was also authorized to cast a Puxian bronze statue, 62 tonnes in weight and 7.85 m high, now in the Wannian Temple.

Further up the mountain lies the Crouching Tiger Monastery (Fuhu Si), Emei's largest temple. Once associated with the Taoist martial-arts master Zhang Sanfeng, today it is a Guanyin nunnery. Notable features include the 16th-century, 7m-high bronze Huayan Pagoda, which is engraved with 4700 Buddha images.

The Qingyin Pavilion, built against the mountainside at the foot of the Niuxin Ridge, is an ensemble of pavilions, towers, and platforms, the earliest dating from the early 6th century. Its location and the streams that run through it have earned it the name “The Mountain Garden.”

A few hours' walk or a cable car ride leads to the Golden Summit (Jinding), at 3077m. There are two temples here (the friendly Woyun Nunnery and the large Huazang Si) and thousands of padlocks inscribed with couples' names to symbolize eternal love.

Huazang Si on Jinding was founded as early as the 1st century as the Puguang Hall, later becoming the Guangxiang Temple and receiving its present royal name in 1614. It was extensively rebuilt and refurnished in the 1970s, but every effort was made to preserve its original appearance.

Jinding is the best place to experience the Four Wonders of Mt. Emei: the Buddha's Halo (rainbow-like rings that surround and move with your shadow), the Sea of Clouds, the Holy Lamp (or Divine Lights) and the Golden Summit Sunrise.

From the Golden Summit you can ride a monorail along the ridge to Wanfoding (Ten Thousand Buddha Summit), the true summit of Emei Shan.

Getting There
Mt. Emei lies 150 km away from Chengdu, 130 km from the Shuangliu International Airport and only 28 km from Leshan city. Access to the mountain is via Emei Shan town, 7km from the base. Minibuses and public buses leave from Emei's main street depot to the trailhead at Baoguo.

It is five kilometers to the top of Emei Shan, much of it consisting of stone stairs. If you walk it all, plan for a full day up and a full day down (around 10 hours on foot). Monasteries along the way offer reasonably-priced lodging, and there are several comfortable lodges on the summit. Dress in layers - a 20° variance between base and summit is normal.

Minibuses and cable cars can take tourists most of the way up the mountain. Most opt for tours from Chengdu, about three hours to the mountain base, then another two hours to Jieyin Dien, where you already feel the air at 2,540 meters.

A Swiss-style cable car soars over pines to Jinding, and a final hike of about an hour, huffing and puffing in the high altitude, to the peak. Some spend the night to see the sunrise, others quickly turn around and head back

Unique geographical and climatical conditions endow Mt.Emei with countless plants.In the Mt.Emei range are undulating hills and mountains,runing brooks and waterfalls,singing birds and blooming flowers, everygreen trees, it looks like a chinese painting, In the silver world, those greenin snow show a life-force of plants. This point is different with the snow scenery of northern China. Visitors throw snow ball with each other, and make the snow children and take pictures. Let you enjoy yourself in the nature and get some idea how splendid is the celestial mountain.
Besides, you have more chance to have a sightseeing in the wintet, such as the Sun Rise, Sea at Clouds, Buddhist Aurole, Divine Light, the snow-clad Mt.Gongga and Mt.Wawu.
The snow scenery of Mt.Emei is a most attractive sliver pearl in the southern China. The beautiful scenery shall make you enjoy yourself so much as to forger to go home.

In this mountain, the natural scene and its long history melt together and assist each other. It has become the object of people to sing for. As the natural heritage, Ermeishan Mountain owns the typical vegetation form, which can assist the studies on world biota. In addition, its special geologic feature is the proof of biogenic derivation. As the cultural heritage, Ermeishan Mountain possesses the relics of Buddhism culture. Leshan Buddha is the most important one even in the world, which was built in the 8th century, 71-meter high. It took 90 years to finish this project. In 1996, it was ranked in “the world Cultural & Natural Heritage” by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization).

A Line:
One day: Baoguo temple (or Emei shan city) -Golden Summit (have a lunch) - Wannian

Temple - Go back.
Two days: Baoguo temple (or Emei shan city) -Golden Summit (live here at night) - Wannian Temple - Qinyin Pavilion - Go back.
B Line:
Three days: Baoguo Temple (or Emei shan city) - Wannian Temple (have a lunch) - Golden Summit (live here at night) - Xixiang pond (have a lunch) - jiulao Cave (live here at night) - Hongchuan Terrace (have a lunch) -Qinyin Pavilion - Go back.

Transportation

Trains and long-distance buses run from Chengdu to Emei town. It is about 120 kilometers from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport to Mt.Emei. When you reach the airport, you may spend an hour and a half by coach in Xin Nan Men Bus Station  First option:You can by train to Chengdu Railway Station,then you may by coach to Mt.Emei in Xin Nan Men Bus Station. Second option:You can by train to Emei Railway Station. Emei Railway Station is located in Emei city. It is about 10 kilometers from Emei Bus Station to Mt.Emei,so you may spend 15 minutes by car to get there.The trip takes 2 to 3 hours. One then needs to take another bus or taxi from Emei town to the village of Baoguo at the base of Emei Shan. The trail to the summit begins at Baoguo Si (Baoguo Temple).

It is five kilometers to the top of Emei Shan, much of it consisting of stone stairs. If you walk it all, plan for a full day up and a full day down (around 10 hours on foot). Monasteries along the way offer reasonably-priced lodging, and there are several comfortable lodges on the summit. Dress in layers - a 20° variance between base and summit is normal.

Minibuses and cable cars can take tourists most of the way up the mountain. Most opt for tours from Chengdu, about three hours to the mountain base, then another two hours to Jieyin Dien, where you already feel the air at 2,540 meters.

A Swiss-style cable car soars over pines to Jinding, and a final hike of about an hour, huffing and puffing in the high altitude, to the peak. Some spend the night to see the sunrise, others quickly turn around and head back.

Scenic Spots	Types	Price
	Entrance charge	CNY 120 (Feb.1-Nov.30) CNY 100 (Dec.1-Jan.31)
Wannian Temple		CNY 10
Huazang Temple		CNY 10
Fuhu Temple		CNY 10
Baoguo Temple		CNY 10
	Jinding cable car	CNY 70 (round-trip)
	Wannian Temple cable car	CNY 60 (round-trip)

** Sightseeing car prices: passenger transport station reportedly Temple --- Lei Dongping station reported that 40 yuan
Temple --- five-passenger station marked Kong (Temple million) Station 20 yuan
mine Ping-dong Station --- Temple station reported that 30 per
Lei Dongping station --- five significant Kong (Temple million) Station 30 per marked five
Kong (Temple million years) --- station Lei Dongping Five Station 30 per marked
Kong (Temple million years) --- station reported that the station Temple 20 yuan

** station departure time: every year on November 1 next year --- April 25 ( With the exception of the Spring Festival Golden Week: Temple station reported 6:00 --- 17: 00)
Temple station reported:8:00 --- 16: 00
Lei Dongping station:8:00 --- 17: 00

** Temple has been reported at the terminal transfer of dollars (team car) Tel:0833-5592464

** Jinding cable winter running time:
11 on 10 on --- The following year on January 31:07:30-18: 00

• Baoguo Temple in Mt. Emei
• Myriad Years Monastery
• Golden Summit
• Qingyang Temple
• THE CHARM OF MT.EMEI IN WINTER

• The Longmen Grottoes
• Buddhism Temples
• pagodas
• Leshan Giant Buddha
• Wenshu Monastery
• Leshan Buddha

Emeishan Private Tour: