“The autumn moon rises above Mt. Emei, casting an eclipsed shadow onto the Pingqiang River. Embarking on a boat journey tonight to Qingxi (“Clear Creek”) joining the Three Gorges, I am heading for Yuzhou full of endless thought about you.” (“峨眉山月半轮秋， 影入平羌江水流。夜发清溪向三峡，思君不见下渝州。”) -- Li Bai [李白](701-762).
This is one famous poem written by the famous Ancient Chinese Poet, Li Bai. It’s all about Mt. Emei. If you go to Chengdu, it would be a pity to miss visiting Mt. Emei for its cultural heritage, natural beauty and brilliant miracles.
Mt.E Mei is one of the “four famous mountains” in China. It lies about 168km from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province. Before the tour of the holy mountain, it is important to obtain some information about the spread of Buddhism in China, Buddhism in Mt. Emei and its hiking routes.
Mahayana Buddhism is generally believed to have been introduced into regions inhabited by the Han people around the first century A.D. In the Wei and Jin Dynasties(220-420) it spread to a fairly large part of the country. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589) the ruling cadre furthered the dissemination of Buddhism. More temples and monasteries were built; Buddhist scriptures were translated. The influence of Buddhism was felt everywhere across the country. By the Sui and Tang Dynasties (581-907) Buddhism had reached its apex of popularity and splendor.
Buddhism gradually took root in the Chinese society, having adapted considerably to Chinese ways of thinking and practice. As the most influential religion in China, Buddhism has an impact on Chinese philosophy, morality, literature, art and many other fields.
Buddhism in Mt.Emei
It is almost two thousand years since Buddhism was introduced from India. Its monasteries covers everywhere in China except a few Daoist mountains like Mt. Qingcheng. It is commonly said that Buddhist monks have occupied much more well-known mountains for their Buddhist propagators than Daoist priests. However, most of Buddhist followers believe that only the four famous mountains in China are the Buddhist holy places. They are Mt.Emei in Sichuan, Mt. Putuo in Zhejiang, Mt. Wutai in Shanxi and Jiuhua in Anhui. Each mountain is dedicated to different Bodhisattvas. Puxian is regarded as one of the four well-known Bodhisattvas of China’s Buddhism. Legend has it that Mt. Emei in Sichuan is the place where he performs the Buddhist rites.
Puxian and Wenshu appear in a pair in spirit of Sakymuni. They usually stand side by side with Sakymuni, the middle. Puxian is the right attendant. He rides a white elephant and Wenshu a lion as we often see in monasteries. Wenshu is a symbol of Wisdom while Puxian Benevolence. Buddhism encourages its followers to study hard at the Buddhist theory, and then use what they have learnt to do charitable works for the purpose of salvaging the suffering creatures. More likely Wisdom and Benevolence display the Buddhist process step by step.
During the Tang Dynasty (618-907) Buddhism in Sichuan developed considerably because some emperors supported Buddhism during their reins. Some important Buddhist constructions were set up in Sichuan such as Bao Guang Monastery (the divine light monastery) in Xindu County, the Giant Buddha in Leshan City, and Wen Shu Monastery in Chengdu. Of course, Buddhism in the mountain was no exception. Some famous monks kept visiting the mountain.
Xuan Zang made a pilgrimage to the sacred land of India to collect manuscripts and images and visit the wellknown shrines from 629 to645, leaving a valuable account of his travels in his “Records of the western Regions”, Before his journey ,Xuan Zang came to the mountain. He visited Puxian, earnestly hoping to get blessings from him .On his way up to the mountain he came across an old monk who offered him a Buddhist scripture. After reading it, Xuan zang felt more confident for his long journey to India. Legend has it that Puxian put himself in the bodily form of the old monk.
Follow me to sightseeing Mt. Emei
Every Chinese or overseas visitor enjoys climbing to the top of Mt. Emei——the Golden Summit more than 10,000-feet-high. The mountain itself is shrouded in the everhanging cloud of fog. Fir trees, pines and cedars clinging the slopes; lofty crags, cloud-kissing precipices, butterflies and azaleas together form a nature reserve of sorts.
At the Golden Summit one stands above the fog and gets a beautiful view, especially in the early morning when mountaintops are bathed in the radiance of the rising sun. Late in the tare afternoon the viewers may see the Magic Light, which appears as a multicolored ring of light in the sky with the shadow of the viewer moves. This light phenom- enon was traditionally known as Buddha’s Aureole or the Emei Buddhist Glory. Actually it is a rainbow ring, produced by refraction of water particles that attach themselves to a person’s shadow in a cloudbank below the summit. Devout Buddhists, thinking this was a call from yonder, used to jump off the Cliff of Self-Sacrifice in the belief that they would thus encounter Puxian. So during the Ming and Qing dynasties officials set up iron poles and chain railings to prevent suicides.
Tourists usually start their ascent of the mountain at Baoguo Monastery, originally constructed in the 6th century but entirely rebuilt in the 17th. There are two paths to Jinding, named after a glistening bronze hall that once crowned the main peak of the mountain. The northern path is wide and easy to follow. The southern path is more rugged and winding. Because it is easier to go up than to come down, most people ascend by the southern route and return on the northern one. At present there is a cable-car transportation up to the summit. Tourists can continue either on foot or by cable-car.
The northern route passes Bailong Cave, Wannian Monastery and Zhanlao Terrace. The southern route passes through Fuhu Monastery,Qingyinge Monastery, Jiulao Cave and Yuxian Monastery. The two paths converge and lead to Xixiang Pool so called after the legend that Puxian passed here on his white elephant, which he washed inthe pool before resuming his trip. Xixiang Pool is the place where tourists frequently come across wild monkeys who usually stand along the path egging for food from tourists. The Chinese find the monkeys an integral part of the mountain trip and like to offer them some food for fun. If you have no food, you should thrust open palms towards the monkeys to show you have no food. The path continues to Leidongping Terrace, a small temple in which the thunder god was supposed to live, and finally defending the Golden Summit itself.
The hiking is spectacular and tiring, and the path difficult to follow in places. No matter whether you ascend or descend, you have to keep a cautious eye on the next step. You should stop occasionally to get a longer view and enjoy the beautiful scenes. The scenery is also an excuse to rest and let your pounding hearts slow down. Whenever you come across a lovely waterfall and spectacular gorge, you should sit by the waterfall, content with the stately beauty and blessings of that spot.
The largest and tallest sculpture of a Buddha
Not far from Mt. Emei is Leshan Giant Buddha, one of the most magnificent tourist attractions near Chengdu.
It’s located on the Westside of Xiluan Peak (Phoenix Perched Peak) of Mount Lingyun , just east of Leshan City. Overlooking the confluence of the Minjiang, Qingyi and Dadu rivers, the Buddha is carved into the cliffs of Mt. Lingyun. A local saying describes the Buddha like this, “the mountain unveils a Buddha, while the Buddha fades into the mountain.” The huge figure takes the shape of a Maitreya Buddha, a disciple of Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism. The figure occupies the entire hillside. Its head reaches the top of the cliffs, his hands rest on his knees and his face has a serene expression as it gazes at Leshan city across the river which rushes past its feet.Looking solemn and stately, the Buddha is 71 meters high. His shoulders are 28 meters wide, head 14.7 metes long and 10 meters broad, with a total of 1021 chignons of hair clustered on it. Each is as big as a round table. Its drooping ear is 6.2 meters long, its eye 3.3 meters wide. Its middle finger is 8.3 meters long, and each of its bare feet is 11 meters long and 8.5 meters wide, large enough for more than 100 people to sit on. As a colossal statue the Buddha is so awe-inspiring that every pious Buddhist feels compelled to fall to his knees and to pray for blessings and safety in life. The Leshan Giant Buddha is taller by 18 meters than the standing Buddha in Afghanistan , which were badly damaged by in 2001 and is believed to be the world’s largest and tallest sculpture of a Buddha carved in rock. In 1996, it was added to the World Natural and Cultural Heritage List. According to records, the carving of this massive statue began in 713AD, during the Tang dynasty, and took 90 years to complete, finally being finished in 803AD. The Leshan Buddha has suffered from hundreds of years of erosion by atmospheric moisture and water running off from the mountain. Water retained on the stomach of the Buddha has weakened the structure and, as a result, foliage and fungi have sprung up from the upper part of the body. Acid rain, has turned the Buddha’s nose black and speckled his face such that it looks like there are tears at the corner of the Buddha’s eyes. Despite these minor areas of damage, the statue is surprisingly intact - thanks to its ancient, internal and hidden water drainage system. Several drainage passages are hidden in the Buddha’s chignons, collar, chest, and holes in the back of its ears and chest. These holes and caves prevent the Buddha from serious erosion and weathering. According to historical records, the past dynasties all did something to maintain the Leshan Buddha. In modern times, the Buddha has experienced six periods of large-scale maintenance. Up until now, it has been well preserved for over 1, 200 years. If you want to take a close look at this huge statue, you can step onto the breathtaking plank road alongside the cliff. On the right side of the Buddha is a precipitous passageway of 250 steps, which zigzags through 9 turns. This is the famous Nine Turn Plank walkway. As you descend it, you may feel dizzy, as if you’re perched on a perilous abyss. At the top of the cliff, level with the head of the Buddha is a veranda where tourists can relax, where you can see some details of the Buddha’s head. Alongside the paths of the cliffs are two notable statues, engraved in the Tang Dynasty. Tourists can see a host of rock sculptures suggestive of fairy figures pavilions and pagodas, carved in meticulous detail and design which illustrate the sophistication and skill of the building and carving techniques of Tang Dynasty. Once you’ve descended the precipitous plank passageway you can walk to the feet of Buddha. As you stand at the instep of the Buddha and look up at the majestic figure its impossible not to feel in awe at the unparalleled skill of the ancient sculptors. Visitors can also board a tourist ferry to get a panoramic view of the Buddha from the river for quite a different experience. Visit Giant Buddha by a walkIt’s worth looking at the Grand Buddha from several angles. While the easiest way to see him is to walk along the riverfront on Binjiang Road, you need to get closer to him to really appreciate his magnitude. You can go to the top, opposite the head, and then descend a short stairway to the feet for a Lilliputian perspective. The total walking takes about 2 hours, so if you will drive to Mount Emei after visiting Leshan, no time for this 2-hour walking, recommend you to take the boat ride only.