Discover 4 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Emeishan National Park (China). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Jinding, Wannian Temple, and Xixiang Chi. Also, be sure to include Mount Emei in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Emeishan National Park (Sichuan).
Table of Contents
Jinding
Also known as: 金顶
Temple in Leshan, China. The Jinding, elevation 3,077 metres, is the main peak of Mount Emei, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sichuan, China. It is also a common name for the Buddhist Huazang Temple built on the summit. Jinding is the highest Buddhist temple in traditionally Han areas of China.
Jinding is known for its "four wonders": the sunrise, the sea of clouds, the "Buddhist halo", and the "divine light".[1]
Wannian Temple
Wannian Temple is a Buddhist temple located at the foot of Camel Mountain Range of Mount Emei, in Emeishan City, Sichuan, China. It is one of the six earliest Buddhist temples on Mount Emei. The temple is situated at the foot of Camel Mountain Range, facing the Daping Temple, Niuxin Temple, Shisun Summit and Bomeng Summit in the front. Wannian Temple is known not only for the bronze statue of Samantabhadra, but also for the Beamless Brick Hall.[2]
Xixiang Chi
Also known as: 洗象池
Xixiang Chi, also known as Tianhua Chanyuan, is one of the most important Buddhist temples on Mount Emei in Emeishan City, Sichuan, China. The temple is located more than 2,000 metres above sea level. The monastery was founded in the Ming dynasty and was expanded during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor in the Qing dynasty. The name of the temple comes from a legend which says that the bodhisattva Samantabhadra once bathed his steed, a white elephant, in a pond near the temple. "Night Moon over the Elephant washing pond" is one of the ten sceneries of Mount Emei. When the moon is shining brightly at night and is reflected in the water, it creates an illusion where the viewer feels like he/she is in Heaven. Important buildings in the temple are the Maitreya Hall, Main Hall, Guanyin Hall, "Tripitaka Pavilion" and guest cottage.[3]
Mount Emei
Also known as: 峨眉山
Mountain in China. Mount Emei, alternately Mount Omei, is a 3,099-meter-tall mountain in Sichuan Province, China, and is the highest of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China. Mount Emei sits at the western rim of the Sichuan Basin. The mountains west of it are known as Daxiangling. A large surrounding area of countryside is geologically known as the Permian Emeishan Large Igneous Province, a large igneous province generated by the Emeishan Traps volcanic eruptions during the Permian Period.
Administratively, Mount Emei is located near the county-level city of the same name (Emeishan City), which is in turn part of the prefecture-level city of Leshan. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.[4]