Mount Putuo, together with Mount Wutai in north China's Shanxi Province, Mount Jiuhua in east China's Anhui Province and Mount E'mei in southwest China's Sichuan Province, are the four sacred mountains of Buddhism in China.

But Mount Putuo is the only one that lies in the sea.

Four different Buddhas -- Guanyin for Mount Putuo, Puxian for Mount E'mei, Wenshu for Mount Wutai and Dizang for Mount Jiuhua -- are honoured respectively on the four mountains.

Buddhism reached Mount Putuo more than 1,500 years ago and left behind some 80 temples and monasteries. Among them 35 are open to pilgrims and tourists, among which three principle temples and one Buddhist monastery -- Puji Temple, Huiji Temple, Fuyu Temple and Dacheng Monastery, represent the unique style of Mount Putuo.

Guanyin (the Goddess of Mercy) is honoured in most temples and monasteries on Mount Putuo.

The legend said that a famous Japanese monk, Hui E, went to the Wutai Mountain to pay tribute to Buddhism and obtained a Guanyin Buddha statue there in AD 863 during Tang Dynasty (AD618-907). He decided to take the Buddha home, but was stopped by turbulent seas as he passed Mount Putuo.

He was told in his dream that he could never leave the isle unless he left the Guanyin statue there. From this he understood that Guanyin was unwilling to leave.

A local resident on the island witnessed all this and helped the Japanese monk put the Buddha in his house which later became a famous shrine, Bukenqu (Unwilling to Leave) -- and the island's first temple, now the site of the Puji Temple.

(China Daily July 23, 2003)