China Travel Guide Emei Mountain

Author: Compiled by the Editorial Committee of "China Travel Guide"
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-09-01
Features: This book is one of the "China Travel Guide" series, a travel guide that uses scientific methods such as graphics, text, photographs, and color to display information about Mount Emei, including its geographical distribution, geographical names, geographical landscapes, geographical data, etc. It helps readers gain a comprehensive overview of Mount Emei, including its highlights, itineraries, scenic spots, Mount Emei's mysteries, tourism services, travel tips, and nearby attractions. It is rich in information, highly practical, artistically designed, and beautifully printed. There is also a beautiful legend about the origin of Mount Emei. Once, Mount Emei was just a massive, square-shaped rock covering an area of over a hundred miles, with a grayish-white color, towering into the sky, and devoid of any vegetation. To build a beautiful homeland, a clever and capable stonemason, along with his skillful wife, a flower-potting woman, determined to carve the rock into a lush mountain with their hands. Moved by their determination and efforts, the gods in the heavens helped them. With the gods' assistance, the stonemason carved the rock into rolling mountains and deep gorges, while the flower-potting woman tossed her carefully embroidered cloth and colorful handkerchiefs into the sky. The colorful handkerchiefs drifted to the summit, turning into dazzling rainbow halos; the cloth handkerchiefs fluttered over the mountain, transforming into lush green forests, cascading waterfalls, blooming flowers, singing birds, leaping monkeys, and roaming beasts. The green mountains danced, and the clear waters sang. Because this green mountain was as beautiful as the eyebrows of the flower-potting woman, people called it Mount Emei.
When climbing Mount Emei, the number of scenic spots to see is so numerous that they are too many to count. For example, the Ruyi Hall in Wanquan Temple, the "Morning Mist of Hongchunping," the "Mist Surrounding Huayan Peak" and "Moonlit Elephant Pool" in Xiangxiang Pool, the Zangjing Building in Baoguo Temple, and the solemn and majestic Buddha statues, etc. Please allow me to describe them one by one:
From Xiangxiang Pool to the Golden Summit of Mount Emei, the path is filled with swirling mist and clouds, covering the deep valleys. The vast white clouds resemble cotton balls, and with a sudden gust of wind, they seem like a thin layer of gauze draped over the peaks. Standing atop the Golden Summit, overlooking the Chengdu Plain 500 miles away: on the left are the Min River and the Qingyi River, like two winding giant snakes rushing down the mountain; on the right is the Dadu River, like a slender golden snake stretching to the base. The rivers are a coarse yellow, the paths a fine yellow, surrounded by lush mountains and emerald fields, creating a breathtaking natural tapestry.
Looking at the waist of the Golden Summit, the scenery becomes even more magical. Sometimes, the clouds and mist drift slowly, intermingling with black, gray, creamy white, and golden hues, displaying endless variations; at other times, the sky is uniform in color, as if the visitors are on an island, surrounded by vast emptiness.
Buddha Light and Holy Lanterns The bronze hall on the main peak of Mount Emei, shining with golden light, is known as the Golden Summit. Here, there is a natural phenomenon called "Buddha Light" or "Holy Lanterns," which is truly captivating. At 2 p.m. that afternoon, we climbed to the Golden Summit and, by coincidence, the clouds above us cleared away. Standing on the cliff, holding onto the iron railing, we looked down at the mountain's waist, where a massive, seven-colored halo appeared in the white mist. Shaking our hands, the angle of the light changed, and we called it "looking in a mirror," able to see our own reflections.
What is even more amazing is that even when many people tried to see it, they could only see their own reflections, floating and swaying, mysterious and difficult to decipher. Inspired by the joy of witnessing the Buddha Light, at 8 p.m. that evening, we also saw the Holy Lanterns. Sitting on the Golden Summit lawn, as soon as we sat down, we saw countless so-called "Buddha Lights" floating from different directions in the heavy mist. They flickered and danced, some like lit candles, some like blooming lotuses, some like flowing fireflies, but when we reached out to grab them, they vanished into thin air, sparking endless imagination among the visitors.
According to local people, Buddha Light usually appears in the afternoon on clear, windless days when the cloud sea is calm and the sun shines at a slant, especially between 2 and 6 p.m. in autumn and winter.
The Dangerous Paths from Baoguo Temple to the Golden Summit The path from Baoguo Temple to the Golden Summit is not only filled with towering peaks, giant rocks, sheer cliffs, and cliffs rising thousands of feet into the air but also with dozens of miles of cascading waterfalls, roaring like thunder. Walking after walking, passing by Wuli Slope, Elephant Nose Slope, Linked View Slope, Seven Mile Slope, and Ninety-Nine Bends; sweating profusely with each step. It is no wonder that the ancients sighed, "The road to Shu is as difficult as climbing the sky."
From the "Qingyin Pavilion," where only the sound of thunder can be heard, we walked several miles further to the "Black River Corridor." The so-called "Black River" is a mighty mountain stream, and the "corridor" refers to a path built along the winding course of the stream, following the towering and steep mountain terrain. This corridor, with its mountain views and streams, winds and curves, stretching for miles. Walking into the corridor, shaded by trees above and cooled by streams below, the gurgling of springs harmonizes with the heartbeat, and the chirping of cicadas and birds fills the air with endless melodies. The mountain flowers, far and near, are even more dazzling and enchanting!
The Monkey Groups of Mount Emei Mount Emei is rich in vegetation, flowers, and fruits, with a variety of birds and animals. Among them, the monkeys of Mount Emei are particularly extraordinary, communicating with humans, and loved by tourists. Unlike monkeys elsewhere, which are fierce and unreasonable, these monkeys are gentle, civilized, and polite.
As we ran from the Golden Summit to Wanquan Temple, we were greeted by an elderly woman coming up from the mountain. She said, "There are many monkeys ahead!" We immediately excitedly adjusted our cameras and ran down the mountain. About two miles later, we saw a fat, old monkey sitting in the middle of the path, as if it knew we were coming and was greeting us. When we offered it the gifts we had brought—zongzi—it quickly devoured them, savoring every bite. Just as I was about to take a photo of it, it bared its teeth and moved to the side of the path, as if saying, "Thank you, don’t waste film!" I looked at it in frustration and tossed it the zongzi, shouting, "Monkeys, here’s some food for you!"
In response, the monkeys made loud noises, the branches shook, and the green waves swayed. More than ten monkeys, young and old, came running, all waiting obediently by the side of the path, stretching out their hands to receive the food. They didn’t fight or rush but took the food one by one. When the food was placed in their hands, they ate it, blinking their little eyes, like obedient children. It was as if humans and monkeys were in perfect harmony.
The monkeys of Mount Emei are elusive. After eating, one old monkey would call out, and the others would climb the trees and retreat, first shaking the branches, then the treetops rising like green waves, vanishing in an instant. What remains for the visitors is a sense of loss.
It is said that there are hundreds of monkeys on Mount Emei, often seen in places like Jiulaodong, Xiangxiang Pool, and Wanquan Temple. Usually, they appear in groups, with a few to dozens. They are all glossy-haired, graceful, gentle, lively, and adorable.
The trip to Mount Emei is unforgettable and leaves a lasting impression.