Mount Emei is also called the "mountain of brightness" in Buddhism, and is associated with Puxian Bodhisattva (Samantabhadra).
Ever since Buddhism arrived in China, Mount Emei has been an important center of refuge and retreat for pilgrims. There used to be more than 100 temples and shrines on the mountain, but only about 30 still stand today.
The Baoguo Temple, situated at the foot of the mountain, is the largest temple on Mount Emei. It was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
The red copper Huayan Pagoda inside the temple is an important relic for those studying Chinese Buddhism. The 14-story pagoda is seven meters high and its walls are engraved with more than 4,700 images of the Buddha and the full text of the Buddhist Sutra of the Huayan Sect.
From the temple to the top of mountain is an uphill walk of five kilometers, much of it on stone steps.
On the way to the temple, tourists frequently encounter a band of monkeys. They aren't dangerous, but will beg for food and grab at bags. Visitors should carry walking sticks to shoo them away.
There are minibuses that can take tourists halfway up the mountain (20 yuan) or to near the top (40 yuan). From the latter bus stop, tourists can also take a cable car the rest of the way to Gold Summit.
On the summit, there are two temples, the Woyun Nunnery and Huazang Temple, as well as thousands of padlocks inscribed with couples'names to symbolize eternal love.
The Huazang Temple on the summit was founded in the 1st century CE as the Puguang Hall. It was later called the Guangxiang Temple and receiving its present royal name in 1614.
The summit is the best place to experience the four wonders of Mount Emei: the Buddha’s halo, the sea of clouds, the divine lights and the sunrise.
From the summit, tourists can take a monorail along the ridge to the Wanfo Summit, the true peak of the mountain.
Today most travelers opt for tours from Chengdu, which is located about three hours from the mountain. Once they arrive at the mountain, they take a two-hour ride to the Golden Summit, and then spend about an hour on the peak.
Entrance tickets to the mountain cost 120 yuan per head.
(Shenzhen Daily March 11, 2008)