Emei Shan 2003
April 10, 2003: (this trip to PRC was taken at the height of the SARS Epidemic and very few Westerners were in China)
A tour guide from CITS and a driver picked us up 8:00 am to go to the Panda Base in Chengdu in the morning. Luckily the driver had a Chinese version of a Mitusbishi Pajero SUV and we had room to store our bags comfortably. We spent the morning touring the grounds and looking at the Giant Pandas and the Red Pandas.
A tour guide from CITS and a driver picked us up 8:00 am to go to the Panda Base in Chengdu in the morning. Luckily the driver had a Chinese version of a Mitusbishi Pajero SUV and we had room to store our bags comfortably. We spent the morning touring the grounds and looking at the Giant Pandas and the Red Pandas.
We drove to the city of Emei in the late morning and arrived at about 2 pm. We had the driver look for a restaurant to have lunch at. The pickings looked quite slim in Emei and when we were about to go to the Hotel we spotted a quaint place on the corner of a main road going back towards the center of town. Our guide got out and said that this was a place that served “hot pot” finger food. We spent about five minutes trying to decipher what she meant by finger food, finally it was ascertained that it was a hot pot restaurant that specialized in fungus or as we in the West call it, mushrooms!
The lunch was good and we got our own private room and ate lots of really good food. Mount Emei is located in the southwest corner of the Sichuan basin. The mountain is well known in China as a scenic spot and draws many local tourists each year. As we entered the City of Emei there was a sign at the main traffic circle under a large statue of Quan Yin (Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva) that said Emei Shan was the number one tourism spot in all of China. Christine doubted this saying that lots of places in China say the same thing.
Emeishan has a Buddhist heritage that can be traced back to the Eastern Han Dynasty under the reign of Emperor Ming (58-75). One day a hermit called Pugong was collecting medicinal herbs in Emeishan when he suddenly saw a man with a halo around his head flying over on the back of a white elephant. Awe-stricken, Pugong followed the man to the summit where he found nothing but fleeting purplish clouds. Then he went to the Western Region (Xinjiang region, from where Buddhism spread from India to China) to consult an abbot who told him that the man he saw was the holy person of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra. Back to Emeishan, Pugong converted his residence into a temple for worshipping Bodhisattva Samantabhadra. This became the first temple ever built in Emeishan. There used to be more than 70 temples in Emeishan when Buddhism was prevailing in China. To date, a dozen of them are still functioning.
We checked into our room at the Huasheng Hotel which is located at the base Emeishan, before making a late afternoon visit to Bao Guo Si (Temple of Dedication to the Nation). We chose Bao Guo Sí because it was close to the base of the mountain. We loaded back into the SUV and headed up the main road towards the mountain. At the gateway, we were pleased that even though there were a large number of vendors, anxious to get us to buy their assortment of souvenirs, maps, snacks, they seemed more subdued and reverent than at other places we have visited in China. Bao Guo Si’s most renowned treasure is an 8 foot tall porcelain Buddha which was said to have been made in the 15th century. Apart from that, the most notable thing about this temple is its beautiful setting at the foothills of Emei Shan. The cool, misty climate, together with the surrounding ancient trees, all add a very mysterious and holy feel about the whole place. Perhaps it was such an environment which created a perfect venue for sages and mystics to settle here, and thus leading to the evolvement of Emei Shan as a pilgrimage site.
Upon leaving on the drive back to the hotel it was decided that tomorrow we would visit the summit and visit the two temples Woyun Sí “Above the Clouds Temple” and Jinding Sí “Golden Peak Temple” there at the summit of the Mountain. Jinding Sí is located on a shear cliff a little more than 10,000 feet above sea level. Then we would go back down the mountain to Wangnian Sí because it is said to be the most beautiful of all the temples.
April 11, 2003:
After spending a night at the Hua Sheng Hotel, our driver took us to the local bus station where we could catch a tour bus up to the summit cable car. No private vehicles are allowed on the mountain unless you are a resident and all of the taxis are LPG powered to try and preserve the mountains heritage. We got on the bus at 9 am and drove up the mountains to a car park near Jieyin Dian. Like many tourist attractions in new pseudo-capitalistic China, there is an entrance fee to the foothills of the mountain (RMB 30 - a huge sum for any Chinese citizen), and individual charges for different points of interest, including each of the temples. We had to get off the bus to purchase our ticket, then we waited in line to have our picture taken by a computer.
Emeishan has a Buddhist heritage that can be traced back to the Eastern Han Dynasty under the reign of Emperor Ming (58-75). One day a hermit called Pugong was collecting medicinal herbs in Emeishan when he suddenly saw a man with a halo around his head flying over on the back of a white elephant. Awe-stricken, Pugong followed the man to the summit where he found nothing but fleeting purplish clouds. Then he went to the Western Region (Xinjiang region, from where Buddhism spread from India to China) to consult an abbot who told him that the man he saw was the holy person of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra. Back to Emeishan, Pugong converted his residence into a temple for worshipping Bodhisattva Samantabhadra. This became the first temple ever built in Emeishan. There used to be more than 70 temples in Emeishan when Buddhism was prevailing in China. To date, a dozen of them are still functioning.
We checked into our room at the Huasheng Hotel which is located at the base Emeishan, before making a late afternoon visit to Bao Guo Si (Temple of Dedication to the Nation). We chose Bao Guo Sí because it was close to the base of the mountain. We loaded back into the SUV and headed up the main road towards the mountain. At the gateway, we were pleased that even though there were a large number of vendors, anxious to get us to buy their assortment of souvenirs, maps, snacks, they seemed more subdued and reverent than at other places we have visited in China. Bao Guo Si’s most renowned treasure is an 8 foot tall porcelain Buddha which was said to have been made in the 15th century. Apart from that, the most notable thing about this temple is its beautiful setting at the foothills of Emei Shan. The cool, misty climate, together with the surrounding ancient trees, all add a very mysterious and holy feel about the whole place. Perhaps it was such an environment which created a perfect venue for sages and mystics to settle here, and thus leading to the evolvement of Emei Shan as a pilgrimage site.
Upon leaving on the drive back to the hotel it was decided that tomorrow we would visit the summit and visit the two temples Woyun Sí “Above the Clouds Temple” and Jinding Sí “Golden Peak Temple” there at the summit of the Mountain. Jinding Sí is located on a shear cliff a little more than 10,000 feet above sea level. Then we would go back down the mountain to Wangnian Sí because it is said to be the most beautiful of all the temples.
April 11, 2003:
After spending a night at the Hua Sheng Hotel, our driver took us to the local bus station where we could catch a tour bus up to the summit cable car. No private vehicles are allowed on the mountain unless you are a resident and all of the taxis are LPG powered to try and preserve the mountains heritage. We got on the bus at 9 am and drove up the mountains to a car park near Jieyin Dian. Like many tourist attractions in new pseudo-capitalistic China, there is an entrance fee to the foothills of the mountain (RMB 30 - a huge sum for any Chinese citizen), and individual charges for different points of interest, including each of the temples. We had to get off the bus to purchase our ticket, then we waited in line to have our picture taken by a computer.
At the end of the line we received our ticket with our picture on it that was good for the whole day at anywhere on the mountain. We then drove further up the mountains to a car park near Jieyin Dian. This spot is at 8,580 feet and is in the cloud layer most of the time. Being shrouded in the dense mist makes it extremely cold. Peasants surrounded us the moment we left the car, urging us to rent their thick, bulky military coats lest we freeze to death at higher levels. Nevertheless, we fought our way through the army of peasant-touts without buying anything and took a short but strenuous walk up to the cable car station. Here, the sight was beholding – lush green foliage and maple trees - no wonder they say the gods live here. Along the path on the left were the vendor stalls, selling snacks, religious object d'art and traditional Chinese medicinal drugs (including items like dear antlers, ginseng root and many kinds of bark, etc). On the other side of the path were monkeys sitting on tree limbs and railings when they were available. At one point a monkey snatched a platic orange soda bottle out of the hand of a tourits who screamed really loudly. I was wondering what the monkey was going to do with the soda figuring he couldn't open it. Well, he chewed a hole in the side of the bottle and had a nice drink.
All the way up the steep climb we encountered many Chinese organized tour groups, devoted elderly pilgrims, peasants on the way to their remote villages, porters carrying loads of bricks, an occasional Western or Hong Kong backpacker, and also huagan porters. A huagan is a simple bamboo sedan chair carried by peasant porters to carry pilgrims up the mountain. It’s amazing seeing how such feudal occupations have managed to survive in modern day China.
Soon we joined the hordes of other tourists (mostly Chinese from all over China - there were few westerners in Sichuan) in the line for the cable car to Jinding, or Golden Summit. Now we have reached the Jin Ding - as far as one can go at Emeishan. Here, at 10,071 feet, the sky is a brilliant azure blue and the sun is bright and warm, it was no longer cold even at this altitude. I had to take off my sweater and it felt good to have the warm sun on my face. At the peak are two temples, Woyun Sí and Jinding Sí. They are quite different and each was unique in its own way. The first temple is Woyun Sí and is home to Buddhist Nun’s who practice Ch’an (Zen) Buddhism as well as various martial arts such as Taiji. We first visited the old run down Ch’an temple. The entire temple is made of wood, which is quite rare for a temple in China. It is also interesting that it is still standing and hasn’t burned down.
After a quick tour of Woyun Sí we exited at the back of the temple and before us was the beautiful temple of Jinding perched almost precariously on the perpendicular granite cliff top, and whose golden roof tiles reflected bright light in the mid-day sun as though it was a star on top of the mountain. Around the base of the temple was the famous Sea of Clouds, which blocked our view of everything below, except for an occasional foliage-covered peak that protruded from it. And in the horizon, were the faint snow-capped mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and Gong’gashan (the peak of the Great Snow Mountains). The Mountains were everywhere so it is no wonder why this land was so isolated and sheltered from invasions over the centuries. And indeed the great Chinese poet Lipo (ACE 701 - 762) said in a famous poem:
Oh how dangerous, how high!
How hard is the road to Shu!
It is as hard as the road to Heaven...
The Temple of Jinding is perched on a famous perpendicular cliff known as She Shen Yan (Suicide Cliff), well above the clouds and all the open space below. It is said that the sight here is so beautiful and hypnotizing that many have jumped from here, thinking that nirvana and heaven is before them. Railings have been put up to hold back the curious visitor, but frankly, the railings are low enough that those who are emotionally-stirred could still leap forward into the space beyond. At this summit is where a curious natural phenomenon called the Buddha’s Halo is observable. On sunny and clear afternoons, a bright circle of rainbow colors can sometimes be seen. According to our guidebook, this is caused by rays being reflected by water-laden air, and some of the devoted have mistaken these as manifestation of the Buddha welcoming them to nirvana. It is therefore not surprising that mishaps most often occur when the Buddha’s Halo, is observable.
Jin Ding Sí, with its gold roof shining the midmorning sun is home to many Buddha’s and Bodhisattva’s. In the main hall there were many pilgrims donating a small sum in exchange for a blessed handkerchief that was stamped with the temple seal and inscribed by one of the monks from the temple. I purchase several of these as gifts for members of the Zen Center and Christine got them to do a special one that said peace in response to the war that was going on in Iraq at the time. The Chinese visitor read the handkerchief of Christine’s and was so impressed had the monk duplicate one for him as well.
After this, we made our way down the steps towards the cable car. Then we walked down the many stairs to we returned to Jieyin Dian car park and decided to have our lunch in one of the small restaurants there. When we had finished lunch there were no busses available for immediate departure so we rented one of the special taxis to take us to Wang Nian Sí.
Soon we joined the hordes of other tourists (mostly Chinese from all over China - there were few westerners in Sichuan) in the line for the cable car to Jinding, or Golden Summit. Now we have reached the Jin Ding - as far as one can go at Emeishan. Here, at 10,071 feet, the sky is a brilliant azure blue and the sun is bright and warm, it was no longer cold even at this altitude. I had to take off my sweater and it felt good to have the warm sun on my face. At the peak are two temples, Woyun Sí and Jinding Sí. They are quite different and each was unique in its own way. The first temple is Woyun Sí and is home to Buddhist Nun’s who practice Ch’an (Zen) Buddhism as well as various martial arts such as Taiji. We first visited the old run down Ch’an temple. The entire temple is made of wood, which is quite rare for a temple in China. It is also interesting that it is still standing and hasn’t burned down.
After a quick tour of Woyun Sí we exited at the back of the temple and before us was the beautiful temple of Jinding perched almost precariously on the perpendicular granite cliff top, and whose golden roof tiles reflected bright light in the mid-day sun as though it was a star on top of the mountain. Around the base of the temple was the famous Sea of Clouds, which blocked our view of everything below, except for an occasional foliage-covered peak that protruded from it. And in the horizon, were the faint snow-capped mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and Gong’gashan (the peak of the Great Snow Mountains). The Mountains were everywhere so it is no wonder why this land was so isolated and sheltered from invasions over the centuries. And indeed the great Chinese poet Lipo (ACE 701 - 762) said in a famous poem:
Oh how dangerous, how high!
How hard is the road to Shu!
It is as hard as the road to Heaven...
The Temple of Jinding is perched on a famous perpendicular cliff known as She Shen Yan (Suicide Cliff), well above the clouds and all the open space below. It is said that the sight here is so beautiful and hypnotizing that many have jumped from here, thinking that nirvana and heaven is before them. Railings have been put up to hold back the curious visitor, but frankly, the railings are low enough that those who are emotionally-stirred could still leap forward into the space beyond. At this summit is where a curious natural phenomenon called the Buddha’s Halo is observable. On sunny and clear afternoons, a bright circle of rainbow colors can sometimes be seen. According to our guidebook, this is caused by rays being reflected by water-laden air, and some of the devoted have mistaken these as manifestation of the Buddha welcoming them to nirvana. It is therefore not surprising that mishaps most often occur when the Buddha’s Halo, is observable.
Jin Ding Sí, with its gold roof shining the midmorning sun is home to many Buddha’s and Bodhisattva’s. In the main hall there were many pilgrims donating a small sum in exchange for a blessed handkerchief that was stamped with the temple seal and inscribed by one of the monks from the temple. I purchase several of these as gifts for members of the Zen Center and Christine got them to do a special one that said peace in response to the war that was going on in Iraq at the time. The Chinese visitor read the handkerchief of Christine’s and was so impressed had the monk duplicate one for him as well.
After this, we made our way down the steps towards the cable car. Then we walked down the many stairs to we returned to Jieyin Dian car park and decided to have our lunch in one of the small restaurants there. When we had finished lunch there were no busses available for immediate departure so we rented one of the special taxis to take us to Wang Nian Sí.
posted by Wonji Dharma at
October 08, 2009
1 Comments:
Hi,
I enjoyed reading your post on Emeishan. I havce visited this sacred mountains several times and now I am writing my MA thesis on it. I was wondering where you got the story about Pugong and the first Buddhist monastery on Emei from.
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