Emeishan National Park

Mount Emei (峨嵋山 or 峨眉山; Éméishān) is a sacred Buddhist mountain in the southern part of Sichuan, China.

Mt. Emei stands at 3099 meters (10,167 feet), and is associated with Puxian Bodhisattva (Samantabhadra) - a representation of 'Great Practice' and 'Great Virtue'. Ever since Buddhism arrived in China, it has been an important center of refuge, and the mountain contains more than one hundred temples and monasteries. The mountain is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

If you expect Emeishan National Park to be a pristine mountain area, you need to adjust your expectation before you come here. It is lined with roads, peppered with houses and accommodations. The hiking trail is nice though. Keep in mind that it's a highly touristic area, so it can be very crowded depending on the season.

• Golden Summit. With a towering, multi-face statue of Samantabhadra and vertigo-inducing views of the cloud sea around the mountain, the peak makes a perfect reward for the thigh-shattering climb from Baoguo.
  • Huazang Temple. Near the summit. There is a terrace with a fine view.
• Wannian Monastery. A large monastery with a fantastic statue of Puxian Bodhisattva, who is depicted as riding a white elephant with six tusks. The monks there are great, and they add a good deal to the ambience of the mountain. A part of the temple is a modern re-construction.
• Leiyin Monastery. This temple, and some of the others temples tucked away in the seams of the mountain, are worthy of exploring, although many are cheaply-made, modern constructions.
• Baoguo Temple. Contains a massive bronze bell, said to be heard from 16 km (10 miles) away when rung. ¥8.
• Jiulao Cave. Close to the Xianfen Temple. Deep Taoist cave. Lots of pilgrims go there to burn incences. It does not seem advised to take this path in winter unless well prepared. ¥2.
• Pinnacle Lingyan. Emei Mountain lies seven kilometers southwest of Emeishan City and is one of the four mountain ranges in China that Buddhists consider sacred. It was included in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1996. The mountain stretches more than 200 km from south to north. Its main peak, Wanfo Top, is 3,099 meters above sea level. Since ancient times Emei Mountain has been described as “Beauty Under Heaven”.
• Bailong Cave.

Golden Summit. With a towering, multi-face statue of Samantabhadra and vertigo-inducing views of the cloud sea around the mountain, the peak makes a perfect reward for the thigh-shattering climb from Baoguo.

• Huazang Temple. Near the summit. There is a terrace with a fine view.

Golden Summit. With a towering, multi-face statue of Samantabhadra and vertigo-inducing views of the cloud sea around the mountain, the peak makes a perfect reward for the thigh-shattering climb from Baoguo.

• Huazang Temple. Near the summit. There is a terrace with a fine view.

Wannian Monastery. A large monastery with a fantastic statue of Puxian Bodhisattva, who is depicted as riding a white elephant with six tusks. The monks there are great, and they add a good deal to the ambience of the mountain. A part of the temple is a modern re-construction.

Leiyin Monastery. This temple, and some of the others temples tucked away in the seams of the mountain, are worthy of exploring, although many are cheaply-made, modern constructions.

Baoguo Temple. Contains a massive bronze bell, said to be heard from 16 km (10 miles) away when rung. ¥8.

Jiulao Cave. Close to the Xianfen Temple. Deep Taoist cave. Lots of pilgrims go there to burn incences. It does not seem advised to take this path in winter unless well prepared. ¥2.

Pinnacle Lingyan. Emei Mountain lies seven kilometers southwest of Emeishan City and is one of the four mountain ranges in China that Buddhists consider sacred. It was included in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1996. The mountain stretches more than 200 km from south to north. Its main peak, Wanfo Top, is 3,099 meters above sea level. Since ancient times Emei Mountain has been described as “Beauty Under Heaven”.

Bailong Cave.

Hiking is one of the main attractions, with trails criss-crossing the park. One of the most picturesque area is located between Niuxin Pavilion and Xianfeng Temple. The beginning of trail from Emeishan is through Leiyin temple, cross concrete road, near Lin He restaurant/hotel/shop, between Fuhu temple (entrance fee ¥6) & Shanjue temple stairs.

The journey would take up to three days. Although the ticket is valid for two days, you should be doing okay as long as you passed through the las checkpoint on your last night. Baoguo Town is the closest place to the foot of the mountain. You should leave your luggage in Baoguo or Emeishan Town until you return from your hike.

If you choose not to summit the mountain, there are many beautiful temples and beautiful views to explore around the lower third of the mountain. Whilst there are stairs, the hike around the lower third of mountain does not need any special equipment, and remains largely under 1000 m above sea level. Keep your entry tickets as you will need to scan them at particular checkpoints easily identifiable by a gate and scanner. Most temples forbid photography within the inner parts of the temples, please be respectful of the signs indicating where you can take photos. Some temples have additional entrance fees.

This is a ~16 km hike suggested by locals who advised avoiding the summit as the lower third of the mountain is more interesting. This can be easily done in one day (leave Chengdu at 09:0/, return at 19:00). There are some stairs, but the route is more gentle than the ones found in other comparable mountains, like in Huashan National Park.

As with all popular mountain hiking routes, you may wish to avoid the area if there is a national holiday due to severe crowding.

• Start by taking the bus from the high-speed rail station to Baoguo Temple bus stop. The temple is well signposted from the bus stop.
• From Baoguo Temple, follow the signs away from the main road to Fuhu Temple, which has a dramatic entrance over a river and a bridge.
• From Fuhu Temple, follow the signs and stairs to Leiyin Temple, easily identifiable by its construction on stilts. Admire the bamboo forests and locals going out for a stroll. It is here that you will meet a checkpoint. Use the entry ticket which you bought back at the high-speed train station to go through the mildly officious manned gate.
• From Leiyin Temple, follow the signs and stairs to Chunyung Palace. At this point you might want to consider having lunch at one of the many restaurants along the route. Expect to pay ¥8-10 for delicious home-made dumplings in chili oil. The restaurants will be happy to do takeaway.
• From Chunyang Palace, follow the signs and stairs to Shenshui Pavilion. Don't forget to look back at your route for some painterly views.
• From Shenshui Pavilion, follow the signs and stairs down (!) to Zhongfeng Temple, another less officious checkpoint to scan your entrance ticket, and then to Guangfu Temple.
• From Guangfu Temple walk to Niuxin Pavilion, and then to the Joking Monkey Zone; don't miss this. This is a route which cuts into the side of a deep and narrow gorge, with amazing hanging forested areas and the opportunity (if the river allows it) to do as the locals do and walk back along the river bank. Walk as far as you can as time allows, this is a to and back part of the route.
• From Niuxian Pavilion is a somewhat dull walk with occasional monkeys, and lots of souvenir stalls. This is a flat 45 minute walk to Wuxiangang parking lot, where you can pick up a bus to go back to the high-speed rail station.

A round trip bus to Leidongping (near the top) costs ¥90 (as of Mar 2019), the drive up takes around 2 hours. From Leidongping bus station, it is a 7 km climbing of stairs. Climbing up should take around 2.5 hours. You can also take a cable car (¥60 up, ¥55 down) the rest of the way to the summit. If you want to go down by bus (after hiking up), ticket from Leidong Terrace to Baoguo temple cost ¥50.

During winter there is a skiing area, in Leidongping area near the summit.

One of the resort offers Hot Spring as well.

Hawkers sell straw or bamboo poles and crampons to attach to boots, which will be necessary when paths are slippery in the winter and spring

Restaurants are located at convenient intervals so there is little need to carry food. A mantou (steamed bun) costs ¥5, and a dish is about ¥15-20. The higher you go, the more expensive the food is.

The monasteries all offer delicious vegetarian fare for around ¥20 a person, though breakfast options might be a disappointing bowl of rice with water and a steamed bun for ¥10 a person. Jieyin Hall Temple has a delicious all- you-can-eat for ¥20; take the stairs on the left after entering. If you want a meat based Chinese meal, there are restaurants close to the tourist temples. Cooked food at pit stops and the restaurants can be wildly expensive (¥40 for a plate of fried noodles), so check prices and consider pot-o-noodles if you're the budget-conscious type. You can also get snacks at several places along the trails.

If you are looking for a good meal near the base of the mountain near the Emeishan mountain transit bus station, I highly recommend you leave the main tourist strip on Jinqu Road (景区路) for meals. Most of the restaurants on this tourist strip are overpriced and serve low quality ingredients, producing a mockery of good szechuanese cuisine. If you are able, a short walk out of the park area will take you to a strip of local restaurants that serve delicious, authentic, and appropriately priced regional dishes. From the entrance gate of the park, beginning of Jinqu Road, head northeast up Mingshan South Road (名山南路) for a few hundred meters. On the east side of the street are a series of good places to eat. A good place to try is Niu Man Tang (牛满堂翘脚牛肉), a restaurant that serves Tiao Joao Niu Rou (a beef broth with various types of beef parts — round, tongue, brisket, tripe, tendon, etc), a regional specialty. The other places serve varieties of this dish, along with szechuanese grilled fish, hot pot, and other popular regional dishes. These restaurants cater mostly to locals and don’t have English menus or pictures of their food, but some of the waitstaff are local college students so you may luck out with language. Otherwise, just get what everyone else there is eating and you won’t be sorry!

Do not drink from the mountain streams. There are several shacks along the way that sell bottled water for ¥5. They are frequent enough that you don't need to worry about water when hiking. And there's boiled water in almost every temple.

Aside from being careful at the top of the mountain, one main thing to remember are the aggressive monkeys who pester hikers for handouts, keep food packed away. These monkeys have been severely teased by many tourists so their behaviour is unpredictable. If you come across any monkeys outside of the temples, do not stop to take pictures or stare as they will bite if provoked. Just walk briskly away and talk in a soothing voice to calm the monkeys enough to leave you alone.

The monkeys have got it all figured out. They can be everywhere in Mount Emei. Chinese people find the monkeys an integral part of the Emei trip and many like to tease them.

• Some tour guides from local Chinese travel agencies suggest to give the monkeys some peanuts or sweets and then hands up and clapping, in order to show you don't have food anymore. Never fool them or trick them as they may act wildly and hurt you.
• Keep some distance while watching and feeding the monkeys. Never touch them! Hide your pocket and packages as they may be robbed by the monkeys.
• Walk with a big group if possible. Ask for help if you get attacked by them or protect yourself with some simple weapons like the alpenstock.

Pack rain gear and be vigilant with your step as the paths get slippery, especially from October to April. Locals will walk the route in trainers and regular shoes. Hawkers sell straw poles and crampons to attach to boots. Warm clothing is essential at the summit year round. Don't forget that even though it's touristy, it's still a mountain. Staircases can be tiring, and the distances are quite far (120 km in two tracks). It isn't Everest, but at 3000 m (10,000 feet), it's at the lower limit of altitude sickness inducing heights. You're more prone to headaches and exhaustion, so drink water, pace yourself on the upper staircases, and stop ascending if you feel faint or nauseous.

To get back to Emeishan High-Speed train station from the bus station at Wuxiangang parking lot, buy a minibus ticket from the bus station (¥20) back to the high speed station. The staff will write your bus number on your ticket; the bus number is spray painted on the rear of the bus.  The driver might try to be cheeky and stop at the town bus station. If this happens kick up a fuss as your ticket is for the high speed rail station a further 1.5 km along the main road.

The last two high-speed trains from Emeishan to Chengdu East/South are at 18:30 and 21:00.

• Leshan Grand Buddha - A massive, high buddha carved into the mountainside.
• The city of Chongqing is a grand city on the Yangtze
• The Yangtze River offers many scenic cruising options to the north
• Chengdu is both historic and modern. Bus ticket costs ¥45 for ~3 hr trip.

[[Leshan]] Grand Buddha - A massive, high buddha carved into the mountainside.