Mount Emei 峨眉山Éméi Shān

Why go to Mount Emei

Mount Emei is one of China's four sacred Buddhist mountains, rising from the Sichuan plain to more than 3,000 metres. Old stone trails link monasteries through forest and bamboo, while buses and a cable car lift visitors to the Golden Summit, where a gilded, many-faced statue of Samantabhadra looks out over a sea of clouds.

The story

Emei is the home of the bodhisattva Samantabhadra, said to have arrived on a white elephant. On a clear day at the summit you may see 'Buddha's light', a rainbow ring around your own shadow cast on the clouds below.

What to see at Mount Emei

• Baoguo Temple 报国寺: The usual gateway to the mountain, a Ming-era monastery whose halls climb the slope in a single line from the entrance gate to the scripture library. It is the traditional start of the pilgrim trail, so it is worth a short look before you go up.
• Qingyin Pavilion 清音阁: Pavilions and terraces on a spur where the Black and White Rivers meet, with a rock shaped like an ox's heart in the stream below. Two small bridges reach the pavilion over the water, and the complex dates back to the early 6th century.
• Wannian Temple 万年寺: One of the mountain's oldest monasteries, said to have been founded in the 4th century. It holds a bronze statue of Samantabhadra cast in the 10th century, 7.85 metres tall.
• Golden Summit and Huazang Temple 金顶与华藏寺: The mountain's famous viewpoint, at 3,077 metres, around a temple whose tin-tiled roof gave it the old nickname Silver Summit. The four wonders usually listed are sunrise, a sea of clouds, Buddha's light and the 'sacred lamps'.

How to visit Mount Emei

Few people walk the whole mountain: the footpath network runs to some 50 km and takes several days. Most visitors take a bus to the upper slopes and a cable car from Jieyin Hall to the Golden Summit, then come down on foot or by the cable car at Wannian Temple. On a second day, walk the lower trail from Baoguo Temple past Qingyin Pavilion to Wannian Temple. In a single day, pick either the lower temples or the summit rather than both.

How to get to Mount Emei

High-speed trains from Chengdu reach Emeishan station in about 1–1.5 hours. Buses then run to Baoguo Temple at the foot of the mountain and on to the upper slopes.

Where to stay

Emeishan City at the foot of the mountain has the widest choice and the bus and train links. If you want sunrise, sleep in a temple guesthouse or lodging on the upper slopes or near the Golden Summit, where Woyun Hermitage, beside the summit temple, has a canteen and guest rooms.

What to eat

• Emei tofu pudding 峨眉豆腐脑: Silky tofu served in a spicy sauce with beef, crisp pork and pickled greens, a popular street snack in Emeishan town.
• Snow konjac 雪魔芋: A konjac grown on the mountain's slopes and protected as a local product, cooked in restaurants in dishes such as konjac with duck.
• Emei Zhuyeqing tea 峨眉竹叶青: A fresh green tea from the Emei area, listed as a protected local product.

Tips for visiting Mount Emei

• Keep food and plastic bags out of sight on the lower trails; the macaques are bold and quick.
• The summit is far colder than the plain, so bring a warm jacket even in summer.
• Stay overnight near the summit if you want to catch sunrise.

Nearby

• Leshan Giant Buddha 乐山大佛 40 km
  A 71-metre Buddha carved from a riverside cliff where three rivers meet
• Jiayang Little Steam Train 嘉阳小火车 50 km
  A coal-era steam train puffing through rapeseed fields to an old mining town
• Mount Mengding 蒙顶山 70 km
  Misty tea terraces and an imperial tea garden where tea growing is said to have begun

Also within 30 km: Nongfu Spring Emeishan Factory Tour 农夫山泉峨眉山工业旅游区 (under 10 km), Dafo Chan Monastery, Emeishan 大佛禅院 (20 km), Feilai Hall, Emeishan 大庙飞来殿 (20 km), Sichuan Tourism Expo Park, Emeishan 四川旅博天地 (20 km), Liujiang Ancient Town 柳江古镇 (20 km).

Trips with Mount Emei

• Sichuan in a week: Chengdu, Leshan, Mount Emei and Dujiangyan 7 days · Chengdu, Leshan, Emeishan and Dujiangyan

On the map

Open Mount Emei on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• UNESCO World Heritage
• Wikipedia (Chinese)