Vanvelthem Cédric, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Mount Emei
Éméi Shān (峨眉山)
Also known as: Emeishan, Mount Omei
Religions: Buddhism | Place Type: Mountain | Region: Asia | UNESCO World Heritage Site
Overview
Mount Emei is a mountain in Sichuan Province, southwestern China, held sacred in Buddhism as the home of the bodhisattva (enlightened being) Puxian, who stands for Buddhist practice and vows. Mount Emei is one of China's four sacred Buddhist mountains (alongside Mount Wutai, Mount Jiuhua, and Mount Putuo). UNESCO inscribed Mount Emei with the Leshan Giant Buddha as a World Heritage Site in 1996.
Present
Mount Emei is managed as a World Heritage area in Sichuan Province. Its monasteries, summit shrines, forested slopes, and pilgrimage routes are active sites of religious practice. Monks maintain temple worship, chanting, offerings, and festival observances at Baoguo Temple, Wannian Temple, Fuhu Temple, and the summit temples near Jinding, the Golden Summit. Pilgrims climb or travel through the mountain landscape to venerate Puxian and visit the temples.
Religious Significance
Mount Emei is known in Buddhism as the earthly home of Puxian (Samantabhadra in Sanskrit), the bodhisattva (enlightened being) embodying Buddhist practice, vows, and action. Puxian is shown riding a six-tusked white elephant, a symbol of strength and purity, with the six tusks representing the six perfections cultivated on the Buddhist path, such as generosity, patience, and wisdom. Pilgrims climb Mount Emei to venerate Puxian, and also to ascend toward Jinding, the Golden Summit, to witness a halo that appears around the viewer's shadow on the clouds below, called the Buddha's Light, which Buddhists regard as a blessing.
History & Structure
Buddhist tradition holds that a temple was founded on Mount Emei's summit in the 1st century CE. Wannian Temple was founded in the 4th century and preserves a 7.85-metre bronze image of Puxian from the 10th century. Other important temples include Qingyin Pavilion, Baoguo Temple, and Fuhu Temple. The mountain developed as a Buddhist cultural landscape, with temples placed along paths, slopes, and summits. The site reaches about 3,099 metres and includes forested cliffs, stairways, temple courtyards, halls, pavilions, and summit structures. UNESCO inscribed Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area, as a World Heritage Site in 1996.