Mount Emei
Mount Emei is more than nature. It is a sacred ground. It is where Buddhism came from several centuries ago. In fact, it has more than 2 dozen temples and numerous monasteries that served as a home for scholars, worshippers, and monks, to name a few.
Location
Mount Emei is located in the southern portion of the province of Sichuan. It forms part of the Leshan; the city center is on the western part. On the east is the city of Emeishan.
Down below is sometimes a raging body of water, which is actually a confluence of three various rivers. These are Dadu, Qingui, and Minjiang. Underneath the marine life is teeming with wide varieties of fish including the dongpo ink fish.
This fish got its name from a very old myth. A long time ago a scholar who used to live in the scenic area would dip his ink slab for cleaning into the water. The excessive ink was then consumed by the fish, making them black.
Description
One of the most sacred land forms in the country, Mount Emei stands mighty and proud at more than 3,000 meters or 10,000 feet above sea level. This also makes it the tallest. As a Buddhist site, there are plenty of temples, monasteries, and other sacred relics within the area.
It is also rich in vegetation because of its subtropical climate. It contains more than 3,000 species of plants that belong to over 200 families. One hundred of these species are considered endemic while the others are now up for national preservation. The forest is composed of evergreens and other trees that have broad leaves.
History
Having been around for many years, Mount Emei has been immortalized by the many legends. One of these is in relation to Guangxiang Temple. According to the story, the goddess of benevolence would perform sacred rituals in the mountain, and in the process, it became a holy site for Buddhism.
But before Buddhism, Taoism was practiced in the area. The first people also lived in the mountains more than 8,000 years ago. One of the first temples known as the Golden Summit was built in the first century AD by a medicinal farmer. When Buddhism came around, a Puxian temple was constructed.
Scenic Spots
There are plenty of things to see and do in the area that a lot of the tourists prefer to stay in the area for around a day or two. You can find over 25 temples, though a long time ago around a hundred used to thrive.
One of the temples you can visit is the Golden Summit. The name is actually a misnomer since its main metal is bronze. Nevertheless, at the break of drawn or at dusk the temple just glows beautifully like gold. Aside from the sunrises and sunsets, the temple is also a great place to see a sea of clouds and saint lamps.
Besides the temples, you can check out the nunneries and monasteries. These include Crouching Tiger Monastery and Baoguo Monastery. The Crouching Tiger Monastery is now the biggest temple in the mountain. It used to be a center of a Taoist but now acts as a nunnery. The best feature is the Huayan Pagoda that stands more than 6 meters in height. In it are over 4,000 images of Buddhas.
The Lenshan Giant Buddha isn’t part of the mountain area per se, but it’s half of the Mount Emei scenic area. It’s something no one can miss since it’s incredibly large, towering over the rivers below. Opposite it is the sacred mountain.
The Giant Buddha was built in 713, but it took more than 85 years before it was completed primarily due to lack of funds. When it was finished, the founder had already died. Nevertheless, the disciples were able to create a stunning monument. The sculpture depicts a sitting Buddha with his hands on his knees. The coils on the bun are passageways for the water so it doesn’t go through deterioration immediately.
Huazang Si is one of the many elegant halls. This is located in Jinding and was built during the first century. Back then it was called as Puguang Hall and then the Guangxing Temple. Because of its old age, it has already undergone a facelift, but they were able to retain almost all of its beauty.
Skiing
A long time ago skiing was unheard of as tourists would come in here to enjoy the mountains through its winding paths, lush forests, and historical and religious sites. Around 1998, however, the first ski resort in the city as well as in the entire province was built in Emei.
The ski resort is a good diversion for the other tourists. During spring Leshan receives a lot of visitors that the city becomes instantly crowded. To lessen the people, some of them are invited to ski.
The ski resort is located at Lei Dongping Road and covers more than 15 acres of land including the parking lot. As a lodge, it offers cabins and villas that are designed using European-style architecture. The skiing area is divided into different sections such as alpine ski, primary ski, and snow battle field.
Folklore Performance
The mountain area also has its own theater, and for the past few years, a special performance is done every night. It’s called Emei Spirit Show. This nightly activitiy is held in Emei Yun Theater. It is subdivided into acts, which include dancing using long silks, face masking, and playing with puppets. It lasts for a couple of hours.
Ways to Get There
Leshan doesn’t have any airport. What it does offer is a good transport network that it’s so easy for tourists to move from one place to another.
There are different kinds of buses that traverse the roads of Leshan, but since you want to go to the mountain area, what you need to board is the sightseeing bus. The buses are found in various stations, depending on what part of the mountain you want to go to.
For example, if you like to begin at the Golden Summit, you board a bus from Leidongping Station. On the other hand, if you’re after the museum, you ride a bus from Baoguo Temple Passenger Transportation Center. The buses leave usually every half hour and around 10 minutes during peak season and public holidays.
You can also come from Chengdu. Just ride a bus from Xinnanmen Bus Station. The entire travel time is about an hour, though the buses leave every 20 minutes. The current fare is CNY 48. Chengdu is also the best route if you want to take a flight to Leshan, specifically Emei. Its international airport is one of the nearest hubs of the city. There are taxis and buses that travel from this point to Emei.
The trains can take you several hours before you reach the Emeishan City, but you can still relax and sleep comfortably by opting for the sleepers. From Chengdu, you can take a train that goes toward Emei. The entire journey is roughly 2 hours and costs CNY 20.
If you prefer to travel by sea, you can board the ferry from the Leshan Port. This then takes you to the foot of the Leshan Giant Buddha. Guests are allowed to leave and explore the area.
Many tourists prefer to ride the cable car, which is found in Jinding and Wannian. It normally operates between 5:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Recommended Visiting Time
In general anytime is a good time to be in Mount Emei, especially since you have the ski resort during the winter. The surroundings transform so beautifully during spring and fall, while in the summer the weather is more stable.
Nevertheless, most of the tourists come during the months of December to January.
Admission Fees and Opening Hours
The mountain area and all it has to offer is open from 6 in the morning to 6:30 in the afternoon during the high season. In low season, the opening hours are shorter, from 5:00 a.m. to 5:50 p.m.
The general entrance fee is CNY 185 during the on peak season and only CNY 110 during low peak. There are also additional charges depending on your preferred destination. For instance, if you’re going to Wannian Temple or Fuhu Temple, you should spend around CNY 10. The Baoguo Temple is cheaper at CNY 8.
The cable car ride is CNY 65 going up and CNY 55 going down; this is during the high season. When there are only few tourists, the price also drops to CNY 30 upper and CNY 20 lower.
Travel Tips
1. Unlike other natural parks and scenic areas, a lot of the places in the mountain are yours to roam. Nevertheless, it pays to know your way around. Make sure that you can grab a map, which is available as soon as you arrive. Carry it with you anywhere you go. There are several helpful people in the area as well should you need help.
2. You have various options on where to sleep. You can stay in the hotels at the foot of the mountain, in the ski resort (when it’s open for business), or right in Mount Emei Scenic Area. Some monasteries have private rooms for you to sleep on. Your stay doesn’t come free, however.
3. Though there are a lot of things to do in the mountain, staying there for over 3 days is more than enough. If you’re planning to be in the area for a week of more, consider getting a package that also includes the other sites of Leshan or even Chengdu. You can also try to ride the steam train, which is another attraction in the area.
4. Not all bus stations can take you all the way to the top of the summit, so ensure that you know where it will take you so you can be more prepared. Some of the buses are only around halfway while the others are a lot closer to the top. If there are no more buses or for different experience, you can ride the cable car instead.
5. Aside from plants, there are several animals in the area. Unless you’re sure, don’t touch them. It’s also ideal if you don’t interact with the monkeys. Because of how the other tourists had treated them, they have learned to act aggressively toward people as well as steal their food.
6. Know the time of the year. Though you can still venture into the mountains during the winter, the paths may be unclear, and you may need to carry a stick or a pole to prevent yourself from slipping. The stick also comes in handy when you can’t easily balance yourself when walking for too long.
7. The walk to the summit is a grand adventure, but it is also time consuming and laborious. Take your much-needed rest and make sure you can buy some food and water from some of the restaurants in the area. Don’t be on the road during sundown especially if you want to stay in one of the monasteries.
8. The monasteries provide more than accommodation. They can also feed you with different vegetable dishes at affordable prices.
See Other Fun Attractions in Leshan
