Emei Shan
According to legend, Elephant Bathing Pool (2070m) is where Pǔxián flew his elephant in for a nice scrub, but today there’s not much of a pool to speak of. Or flying elephants for that matter. There are some elephant statues, though. Being almost at the crossroads of both major trails, the temple here is sometimes packed with pilgrims and often crowded with curious monkeys.
Dorms are available for ¥50, but lock your doors and hide your valuables from those monkeys.
25.69 MILES
Le Shan’s serene, 1200-year-old Grand Buddha sits in repose, carved from a cliff face overlooking the confluence of three busy rivers: the Dadu, Min and…
2.37 MILES
This temple is at the Golden Summit (Jīndǐng; 3079m), commonly referred to as the mountain’s highest peak. This temple is a striking modern renovation,…
2.94 MILES
Reconstructed in the 9th century, Wannian Temple (1020m) is the oldest surviving Emei temple. It’s dedicated to the man on the white elephant, the…
25.73 MILES
Wuyou Temple, like the Grand Buddha, dates from the Tang dynasty, and has Ming and Qing renovations. This monastery contains calligraphy and artefacts,…
26.14 MILES
This large park houses thousands of Buddha statues and figurines from around Asia, including a 170m-long reclining Buddha, one of the world’s longest. Don…
6.08 MILES
Constructed in the 16th century, this temple (550m) features beautiful gardens of rare plants, as well as a 3.5m-high porcelain Buddha dating back to 1415…
3.32 MILES
Named ‘Pure Sound Pavilion’ after the soothing sounds of the waters coursing around rock formations, this temple (710m) is built on an outcrop in the…
1.16 MILES
Somewhat off the beaten track on the long way round to the peak, this carefully tended monastery (1752m) is backed by rugged cliffs and surrounded by…
1.16 MILES
Somewhat off the beaten track on the long way round to the peak, this carefully tended monastery (1752m) is backed by rugged cliffs and surrounded by…
1.58 MILES
This small one-room temple makes a nice shady spot to rest en route to Huayan Peak.
1.61 MILES
A large main hall and several smaller shrines mark the starting point of the final push to Jinding Peak. To take the cable car to Jinding, you'll have to…
2.37 MILES
This temple is at the Golden Summit (Jīndǐng; 3079m), commonly referred to as the mountain’s highest peak. This temple is a striking modern renovation,…
2.76 MILES
Between Qingyin Pavilion and Hóngchūn Píng (Venerable Trees Terrace), you will at some point encounter the mountain’s infamous monkeys. Unfortunately,…
2.94 MILES
Reconstructed in the 9th century, Wannian Temple (1020m) is the oldest surviving Emei temple. It’s dedicated to the man on the white elephant, the…
3.22 MILES
Fabled to be the spot where legendary nymph Bai Suzhen morphed from a white snake into a beautiful woman. Surprisingly then, the temple that currently…
3.32 MILES
Named ‘Pure Sound Pavilion’ after the soothing sounds of the waters coursing around rock formations, this temple (710m) is built on an outcrop in the…