China's four sacred Buddhist mountains are Mount Putuo in Zhejiang, Mount Emei in Sichuan, Mount Wutai in Shanxi and Mount Jiuhua in Anhui.

Of them, Jiuhua is the least popular, chiefly because its scenery is not as spectacular as the others. An attraction mainly for Buddhist pilgrims as opposed to mass tourism, it is lovely and certainly quieter and with a palpable religious ambience.

Last month I had the chance to explore the holy site during a two-day trip and was left beguiled by the mountain known as the "land of Buddhas and incense."

Huacheng Monastery

I left Hefei, the Anhui provincial capital in the morning and arrived at Jiuhua Road around noon.

At 600 metres above sea level, the road is about halfway up the mountain, and is the starting point for Buddhist pilgrims and tourists visiting one or other of the 97 temples spread across and around it.

Third century Taoist monks built thatched temples, but with the rise of Buddhism in the country, they were gradually replaced by the stone monasteries of the Buddhists.

Page:

1

2

3

4

5

6

All rights reserved. Reproduction of text for non-commercial purposes is permitted provided that both the source and author are acknowledged and a notifying email is sent to us.