China Travel Guide -- Mount Emei

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 a wide range of readers gain a comprehensive overview of Mount Emei, including itineraries, scenic spots, highlights of Mount Emei, tourism services, travel tips, and nearby attractions. It is rich in information, highly practical, artistically refined, and beautifully printed. There is also a beautiful legend about the origin of Mount Emei. In the past, 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 home, a clever and capable stonemason and his skillful wife, a flower-potting woman, resolved 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 seven-color halos; the cloth handkerchiefs fluttered over the mountain, transforming into lush green forests, cascading waterfalls, blooming mountain 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 named 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 Wanren 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, and with a sudden gust of wind, they seem like a thin veil covering the peaks. Standing atop the Golden Summit, overlooking the Chengdu Plain for five hundred miles: on the left are the Minjiang and Qingyi Rivers, like two winding giant serpents rushing down the mountain; on the right is the Dadu River, like a slender golden snake stretching to the foot of the mountain. The rivers are a coarse yellow, the paths a fine yellow, surrounded by lush mountains and emerald fields stretching endlessly, 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 black, gray, creamy white, and golden, displaying endless variations; at other times, the sky is uniform in color, as if the travelers are on an island, surrounded by vastness.
Buddha Light and Holy Lantern
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 wonder called the "Buddha Light" or "Holy Lantern," which is truly captivating. At 2:00 PM, we climbed to the Golden Summit and, by chance, the clouds above us cleared away. Standing on the cliff, with hands on the iron railing, gazing at the waist of the mountain, a huge seven-color halo appeared in the white mist. By waving our hands, the angle of the light changed, and it was like looking in a mirror, allowing us to see our own reflections.
What is even more amazing is that even when many people try to see it, they can only see their own reflections, which float and sway, mysterious and difficult to fathom.
Inspired by the joy of witnessing the Buddha Light, at 8:00 PM, we also saw the Holy Lantern. While sitting on the grassland of the Golden Summit, we suddenly saw countless so-called "Buddha lights" drifting from different directions in the heavy mist. They flickered and danced, some like lit candles, some like blooming lotuses, some like flowing fireflies. However, when we reached out to grab them, they vanished into thin air, sparking endless imagination among the travelers.
According to local people, the Buddha Light usually appears in the afternoon on clear, windless days when the cloud sea is calm, with the sun slanting. It is especially common between 2 PM and 6 PM in the late autumn and winter.
The Dangerous Path to Mount Emei
From Baoguo Temple to the Golden Summit, the path 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 Miles Slope, and the Ninety-Nine Bends; sweating profusely with each step. It is no wonder that the ancients sighed, "The path to Shu is as difficult as climbing the sky."
A few miles further from the "Clear Sound Pavilion," where only the sound of thunder can be heard, is the "Black River Corridor." The so-called Black River is a massive mountain stream, and the so-called corridor is 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 for miles. Walking into the corridor, shaded by trees above and cooled by streams below, the gurgling of springs harmonizes with the heart, the chirping of cicadas and birds fills the air, and the blooming mountain flowers are even more dazzling and enchanting!
The Monkey Groups of Mount Emei
Mount Emei is lush with vegetation, flowers, and fruits, and is home to a variety of birds and animals. Among them, the monkeys of Mount Emei are particularly extraordinary, understanding human language, and are especially 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 Wanren 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. After about two miles, we saw an old, fat monkey sitting in the path, as if it knew we were coming and was greeting us. When we offered it the zongzi we had brought, it devoured it in a few bites, savoring it so deliciously. Just as I was about to take its photo, it bared its teeth and moved to the side of the road, as if saying, "Thank you, don’t waste film!" I looked at it in frustration and threw the zongzi into the air, shouting, "Monkeys, eat this!"
In response, the monkeys howled, the branches shook, and the green waves swayed. More than ten monkeys, young and old, big and small, ran over, waiting obediently by the roadside with outstretched hands. They took the food one by one without fighting. When the food was placed in their hands, they ate it, blinking their little eyes as if they were listening to instructions. It was as if they were children who could be freely stroked on the head. This scene can be described as a harmonious bond between humans and monkeys.
The monkey groups of Mount Emei are elusive. After eating, one old monkey will call out, and the others will climb the trees and retreat one after another. First, the branches shake, then the treetops surge with green waves, and in an instant, they vanish without a trace. What remains for the travelers is a sense of loss.
It is said that there are hundreds of monkeys on Mount Emei, often seen in places like Jiulong Cave, Xiangxiang Pool, and Wanren Temple. They usually travel in groups, with a few to dozens. They are all glossy-haired, graceful, gentle, and lively.
The trip to Mount Emei is unforgettable and leaves a lasting impression.