China's Mountains (3)

China’s four great Buddhist mountains are Wutai ( in Shanxi Province), Putuo ( in Zhejiang Province), Jiuhua ( in Anhui Province), and Emei ( in Sichuan Province). They are believed to be the places where Wenshu, Guanyin, Dizang and Puxian, Buddhism’s four major Bodhisattvas, preach and practise Buddhist rites.
The 3,061-meter-high Wutai Mountain in Shanxi Province is where Wenshu, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, and the left attendant of Sakyamuni, is worshipped. Wenshu is also one of the major deities in Tibetan Buddhism. Therefore, Wutai is considered sacred by the Han Chinese, Tibetans, Mongolians and other ethnic minority groups. In the past 2,000 years, both emperors and pilgrims have visited Wutai Mountain’s five peaks and numerous temples, 47 of which still stand today.
Of China’s four most sacred Buddhist mountains, Putuo is unique in that it is the only one located on an island. It is also the smallest of the four but by no means the least important, as this tiny island in Zhejiang Province is home of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, one of the most popular Buddhist figures among the Chinese people, particularly women. Easily accessible from Shanghai or Ningbo, the island boasts temples, mountains, beaches, cave, and fantastic scenery.
Jiuhua Mountain’s 99 peaks tower high into the mist and fog of Southern Anhui province. Many temples and nunneries on the mountain date back to the Tang Dynasty over 1,000 years ago, and reached their height during the Qing Dynasty, when over 3,000 monks and nuns lived here. The deity worshipped here is Dizang, or Guardian of the Earth. He is believed to have saved all the living creatures in Heaven and in Hell.
The highest of the four, the Emei Mountain in Sichuan Province, is where Puxian, the Bodhisattva of Universal Benevolence, is said to have once preached. It features many attractive places, especially the summit, or “golden peak.” Although one has the modern access of a cable car up to the summit, the real pilgrims, often elderly women, travel on foot-up 40,000 stone steps and over a distance of 60 kilometers!
As for scenic beauty, Mount Huangshan in Southern Auhui Province tops the list. Huangshan literally means “Yellow Mountain.” In ancient times, yellow was the Chinese imperial color. You can easily understand the significance of such a name. Huangshan is well-known for its pine trees, karst formations, clouds, and hot springs. Huangshan has drawn distinguished poets, writers, and painters through the centuries, and continues to attract tourists both from home and abroad all the year round.