Buddhist Mountains of China
Since Buddhism arrived in China 2000 years ago, its monks and pilgrims have sought the solitude of mountains. These peaks became home to some of the world's most magnificent monasteries, built into cliffsides and perched on summits.
Mount EmeiEmei Shan
Sacred Buddhist mountain — golden temples above the clouds
Mount WutaiWutai Shan
Earthly abode of the Bodhisattva of Wisdom — China's holiest Buddhist mountain
Mount SongSong Shan
Birthplace of Shaolin kung fu and Zen Buddhism, the Central Great Mountain
Mount Heng (Hunan)Heng Shan (Hunan)
The Southern Great Mountain, home to 200+ temples and misty forest trails
Mount Heng (Shanxi)Heng Shan (Shanxi)
Home to the mind-bending Hanging Temple suspended from a sheer cliff
Mount JiuhuaJiu Hua Shan
One of China's four sacred Buddhist mountains, 99 peaks shrouded in incense
Mount PutuoPu Tuo Shan
Sacred Buddhist island mountain where the sea meets the dharma
Namcha BarwaNan Jia Ba Wa Feng
The eastern anchor of the Himalayas — 7,782m of sheer majesty rarely seen by outsiders
Mount GonggaGong Ga Shan
The King of Sichuan mountains — 7,556m of alpine majesty
Mount KailashGang Rinpoche
The most sacred mountain on Earth — worshipped by a billion people, climbed by none
Mount FanjingFan Jing Shan
The Red Cloud Golden Summit — two temples on a knife-edge ridge above the clouds
The Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains
Mount Emei 峨眉山
Sichuan
Bodhisattva Samantabhadra (Puxian). The highest of the four sacred mountains, with a 50km pilgrimage trail through subtropical forest to the Golden Summit at 3099m. Sunrise over a sea of clouds is a spiritual experience even for non-Buddhists.
Mount Wutai 五台山
Shanxi
Bodhisattva Manjusri (Wenshu), the bodhisattva of wisdom. The oldest Buddhist sacred mountain, with temples dating to the 1st century AD. Five flat-topped peaks surround a valley of monasteries.
Mount Jiuhua 九华山
Anhui
Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha (Dizang), protector of souls in the afterlife. Known for its 99 peaks and the mummified body of a Tang-dynasty monk preserved in a temple.
Mount Putuo 普陀山
Zhejiang
Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Guanyin), the goddess of mercy. The only sacred mountain on an island, surrounded by the East China Sea. A place of pilgrimage for sailors and fishermen for 1,000+ years.