Emei Mountain lies seven kilometers southwest of Emeishan City and is one of the fourmountain ranges in China that Buddhists consider sacred. It was included in the UNESCO worldheritage list in 1996. The mountain stretches more than 200 kilometers from south to north.Its main peak, Wanfo Top, is 3,099 meters above sea level. Since ancient times Emei Mountainhas been described as "Beauty Under Heaven". Temples were built as early as the Eastern HanDynasty (25--220) and Buddhism was introduced to the mountain during the Jin Dynasty. Inthe Ming and Qing dynasties there were more than 150 temples.
A legend claims that the mountain was where Samantabhadra gave lectures on Buddhism andmost temples house a statue of Samantabhadra. The main scenic spots on the mountaininclude the Baoguo Temple, Wannian Temple, Fohu temple, Qingyin Pavilion, HeilongjiangTunnel, Hongchun Platform, Xianfeng Temple (Jiulao Cave), Xixiang Pond and Golden Summit.These places are at different altitudes and have different climates. Temperatures at the top ofmountain are 15 degrees lower than at the foot. Emei Mountain is a well-known natural museumwith more than 3,000 specimens of plants and 2,000 types of animals including groups ofmonkeys that appear on the mountain roads and fascinate the tourists.
Baoguo Temple sits at the foot of the mountain at the entrance and exit of the mountain area.The temple was built during the reign of Ming Emperor Wanli(1573--1620). About 15 kilometersfrom the Baoguo Temple is Wannian Temple, one of the main temples in the mountain area.Wannian Temple, or the Temple of Samantabhadra as it was known before the Ming Dynasty,was built during the reign of Emperor Long'an of the Eastern Jin dynasty (397--401). It has nobeams and houses a bronze statue of Buddha Samantabhadra mounted on a six-toothed whiteelephant cast in 1980, the fifth year of the Northern Song Dynasty. The statue is 7.3 metershigh and weighs 62 tons. Xianfeng Temple is situated a the foot of the Jiulao Peak and the oldhalls were built with tin sheets and iron tiles. The intact halls were rebuilt in 1779. Fohu Templeis located one kilometer west of Baoguo Temple and at the foot of Fohu Hill. It is one of thelargest temple in the mountain area. Rebuilt in 1651, it covers an area of 13,000 square metersand is accessible from the highway. At the Golden Summit, the pinnacle of the mountain area3,065 meters above sea level, is Puguang Hall of Temple. It was constructed during theEastern Han Dynasty and has been rebuilt several times after being struck by lightning. TheGolden Summit is an ideal place to view the sunrise, the sea of clouds, the "Buddhist lights" and"Sacred lamps".
The Giant Buddha on the east bank of Mingjiang River in Leshan City, Sichuan Province, restshis feet where three rivers--the Minjiang, Qingyi and Dadu--join. The Buddha faces EmeiMountain across the river and at its back is the western slope of Lingyun Mountain. Standing at70.7 meters with shoulders 24 meters wide it is an impressive sight. A water drainage systemreduces erosion by rain and slows weathering.
The statue was begun in 713 and completed in 803. To the right of the statue a plank roadwith nine turns was built and it is now famous as the nine-turn plank road; it goes from thebottom to the top.
