Emeishan Travel Guide

Located in the central part of Sichuan Province, Emeishan City occupies a total area of 1,151.4 square kilometers and has a total population of 435,000. Emeishan City gets its name due to its location at the foot of the beautiful Mt. Emeishan. Majority of the area of Emeishan City is mountainous regions, with southwest part being hilly areas and east part being plain.
 

History

Emeishan City owns a long history. In the Qin Dynasty, it was known as Nan'an county under the Shu prefecture; in the Northern Zhou Dynasty, it was called Emeishan county; and in the Sui Dynasty, it was named as Suishan county. After the founding of New China, it was once named as Emeishan county and in 1988, it was upgraded to Emeishan City.
 

Attractions

The main scenery in Emeishan is Mt. Emeishan for the most viewsights are in the mountain. Mt. Emei literally means "Delicate Eyebrow Mountain" — it derives its name from two peaks which face each other and look like the delicate eyebrows of a Chinese classic beauty. 

There are over 30 Buddhist temples on Emei Shan, 10 of which are large and very old. They are considered masterpieces of creative ingenuity in the way they adapt to the natural enviroment and beauty of the holy mountain.

At the mountain base is Baoguo Monastery, built in the 16th century. Further up the mountain lies the Crouching Tiger Monastery (Fuhu Si), Emei's largest temple. The Qingyin Pavilion, built against the mountainside at the foot of the Niuxin Ridge, is an ensemble of pavilions, towers, and platforms, the earliest dating from the early 6th century. Its location and the streams that run through it have earned it the name “The Mountain Garden”.

A few hours' walk or a cable car ride leads to the Golden Summit (Jinding), at 3077m. There are two temples here (the friendly Woyun Nunnery and the large Huazang Si) and thousands of padlocks inscribed with couples' names to symbolize eternal love.
Huazang Si on Jinding was founded as early as the 1st century as the Puguang Hall, later becoming the Guangxiang Temple and receiving its present royal name in 1614. It was extensively rebuilt and refurnished in the 1970s, but every effort was made to preserve its original appearance.

Jinding is the best place to experience the Four Wonders of Mt. Emei: the Buddha's Halo (rainbow-like rings that surround and move with your shadow), the Sea of Clouds, the Holy Lamp (or Divine Lights) and the Golden Summit Sunrise. From the Golden Summit you can ride a monorail along the ridge to Wanfoding (Ten Thousand Buddha Summit), the true summit of Emei Shan.
 

Transportation

There are buses departing from Chengdu (Xinnanmen,Chengdu) to Emei city every ten minutes. Tourists can take the minibuses and cable cars to the mountain.
 

Weather

Sichuan is bordered by the Tibetan Plateau in the west and by the Three Gorges and the Yangtze River in the east. The eastern part of the Sichuan basin is ringed by lofty mountains and experiences a subtropical and humid climate. The western part is considered the highland area and experiences frequent fog with intense sunlight, but low temperatures. The annual rainfall in this province is 1000 millimeters and the average annual temperature is 16.5 C.
 

Food

Belonging to Sichuan Cuisine, the food here is hot and spicy. At the foot of the Mt. Emei, there is a snack street where sell the local specialties. Spending Y40 here will make you rather full.
 

Accommodation

Hong Zhu Shan Hotel
Address: the Foot of Mount Emei Neighboring with Baoguo Temple
Teddy Bear Hotel
Address: No.43 Baoguo Road
 

Shopping

Emeishan City boasts the special local production of tea, silkworm cocoon, white wax, mat grass, bamboo shoot, and orange. The Emeishan Bamboo Leaf Green Tea is famous all over the world.

Tips for travel:

1. Do not touch the monkeys in the mountain; do not open your bags in front of the monkeys.
2. Be sure not wear colorful clothes, especially red clothes in the mountain.
3. Do not carry your things in plastic bags. The monkeys target them because they often contain food.
4. It is a good idea to take some basic provisions with you when climbing the mountain.