Four Buddhist Holy Lands

1. Mount Wutai in Shanxi

Mount Wutai ranks first among the four famous Buddhist mountains in China. It is called "Golden Wutai". It is the dojo of Manjushri Bodhisattva and symbolizes "wisdom". Mount Wutai is located in the northeastern corner of Wutai County, Xinzhou District, northeastern Shanxi Province, China. It is located on the "Roof of North China" with a total scenic area of ??2,837 square kilometers and a maximum altitude of 3,061 meters.

Five peaks (Wanghai Peak on the east platform, Jinxiu Peak on the south platform, Cuiyan Peak on the middle platform, Hanging Moon Peak on the west platform, and Ye Dou Peak on the north platform) surround the entire area. The top is flat and wide without trees, like a platform of earth. , hence the name. Mount Wutai is the only Buddhist temple in China where the Green Temple (Chinese Buddhism) and the Yellow Temple (Tibetan Buddhism) complement each other. There are 47 existing temples, 39 inside and 8 outside.

Many of them were ordered to build temples, and many emperors came to pay homage. The famous ones are: Xiantong Temple, Tayuan Temple, Bodhisattva Peak, Nanshan Temple, Dailuoding, Guangji Temple, Wanfo Pavilion, etc. The fact that Mount Wutai can become one of the four famous mountains of Chinese Buddhism can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. The prefect of the Tang Dynasty once said, "Mount Wutai is the residence of Manjusri, the secluded dwelling place of all saints. It is located in Taiyuan. It is the place where my ancestors cultivated their virtues." You should only be afraid." From then on, Wutai Mountain was recognized as the sacred place of Manjusri.

2. Putuo Mountain, Zhejiang

Putuo Mountain is the ashram of Guanyin Bodhisattva, symbolizing "compassion". It is one of the four famous mountains of Chinese Buddhism and is located east of the exit of Hangzhou Bay, Zhejiang Province, China. About 100 nautical miles away, it belongs to the Zhoushan Islands, and the entire area is Putuoshan Town, Putuo District, Zhoushan City. It is a famous island scenic tourist attraction. Putuo Mountain Scenic Area is located about 100 nautical miles east of Hangzhou Bay, Zhejiang Province. It is a small island in the Zhoushan Islands.

Putuo Mountain is said to be the dojo of Guanyin Bodhisattva. There are now more than 20 temples and nunneries, among which Puji, Fayu and Huiji temples are large in scale and elegant in architecture. They are typical of Chinese temple complexes in the early Qing Dynasty.

3. Mount Emei, Sichuan

Mount Emei, one of the four famous mountains of Chinese Buddhism, is the dojo of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva and symbolizes "virtue". The top of Mount Emei is located in Emeishan City, Leshan City, Sichuan Province, China. It is one of the "Four Famous Buddhist Mountains" in China. It has steep terrain and beautiful scenery. It is known as "Emei is the most beautiful place in the world". The Ten Thousand Buddhas Peak on the mountain is the highest, with an altitude of 3099 meters. It is more than 2,700 meters higher than the Emei Plain.

Mount Emei is located at the intersection of multiple natural elements, with complex flora, rich biological species, and numerous endemic species. It preserves a complete subtropical vegetation system with more than 3,200 plant species, accounting for approximately the total number of plant species in China. 1/10. Mount Emei is also the habitat of a variety of rare animals, with more than 2,300 animal species. There are many monkeys along the mountain road, and they often form groups to beg for food from tourists, which is a major feature of the mountain.

The religious culture of Mount Emei, especially Buddhist culture, constitutes the main body of Mount Emei's historical culture. All buildings, statues, ritual instruments, etiquette, music, paintings, etc. all show the strong flavor of religious culture. There are many historic sites and temples on the mountain, including Baoguo Temple, Fuhu Temple, Xixiang Pool, Longmen Cave, Sheshen Cliff, Emei Buddha Light and other scenic spots. It is one of China's tourism, rest and summer destinations.

4. Jiuhua Mountain, Anhui

Jiuhua Mountain, one of the four famous mountains of Chinese Buddhism, is the monastery of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and symbolizes "wish power". It is located in Qingyang, Chizhou City, Anhui Province, China Within the county, Jiuhua Mountain is majestic and integrates natural scenery and cultural landscape. It is known as the "No. 1 Mountain in Southeast". Jiuhua Mountain was called Lingyang Mountain in the Han Dynasty, and Jiuzishan Mountain in the Liang and Chen Dynasties in the Southern Dynasties.

It is said that Li Bai, the immortal poet of the Tang Dynasty, composed a song after visiting the mountain and said: "There are two wonderful things, Lingshan is the work of Jiuhua", so it was renamed Jiuhua Mountain. During the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty, Jin Qiaojue, the prince of Silla Kingdom, Zhuoxi Jiuhua, practiced Buddhism for 75 years and passed away at the age of 99. He was considered to be the incarnation of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. Jiuhua Mountain was thus established as the dojo of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

From the foothills to Tiantai Peak, there are many famous temples and ancient temples in Jiuhua Mountain, and there are many cultural relics and historic sites. There are still 78 ancient temples such as Huacheng Temple, Yueshen Palace, Huiju Temple, and Centennial Palace, and more than 1,500 Buddha statues. It contains more than 1,300 cultural relics such as imperial edicts, Tibetan scriptures, other jade seals, and magical instruments issued by Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty.