Holy Buddhist Cultural Exploration
Mount Jiuhua (Jiuhua Mountain), dedicated to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, is one of the four most sacred Buddhist mountains and a popular pilgrimage destination in China. From foothills to mountaintop, there are many ancient Buddhist temples and relics charting tracks of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and some great Buddhist monks. No matter you are a Buddhist or a traveler fond of Buddhist culture, this 2-day Mount Jiuhua Buddhist cultural tour will take you to worship the incarnation of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, visit the Buddhist shrines with different highlights and history and deeply explore Buddhism history and culture on Mount Jiuhua.
Highlights of this tour
Welcome to Chizhou in southern Anhui Province, a city most famous for the holy Buddhist mountain - Mount Jiuhua. Upon arrival, your tour guide and driver will meet you at the Chizhou Jiuhuashan Airport or Chizhou Railway Station, and then escort you to Mount Jiuhua directly.
First, you will drive to Great Vow Culture Park at the north foot of Mount Jiuhua to start your Buddhism exploration. You can take tourist bus to witness the 99-meter Golden Statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, a new pilgrimage landmark of Mount Jiuhua and the tallest outdoor bronze Buddhist statue in the world. Beyond the spacious square, archways, bridges, clear ponds, the most impressive sight is the giant Buddhist statue standing before layered majestic green mountains.
Then transfer to Jiuhua Street, the core scenic area where most Buddhist temples locate. Take a cable car up to Longevity Palace, a Ming Dynasty five-storey ancient Buddhist temple on a hilltop (elevation: 871m). The temple, built in Southern Anhui folk residence style, is a major must-visit Buddhist temple of Mount Jiuhua, most famed for consecrating the intact saint corporeal body of monk Haiyu (style name: Wuxia) in the Incarnation Hall. He once spent over 20 years copying the Avatamsaka Sutra with his blood of tongue and gold powder here. You can get a grand view of Jiuhua Street and see 500 life-like statues of Arhats in different gestures and looks in the Hall of Five Hundred Arhats, a unique sight that can only be seen in Mount Jiuhua. Walk to the observation deck to view the undulating mountains in Flower Terrace Scenic Area perfectly forming a splendid view of a natural sleeping Buddha.
Later, take cable car down to Jiuhua Street and continue to visit Huacheng Temple, the first and leading temple of Mount Jiuhua. The temple was built in Eastern Jin Dynasty more than 1,600 years ago and most existing buildings are from Qing Dynasty. Now the temple has been changed to the Jiuhuashan Museum of Historical Relics, exhibiting thousands of cultural treasures, like Buddhist sutras, ritual instruments, imperial decree, jade seal, ancient paintings and calligraphy.
Next, visit Incarnation Grand Hall, a national key Chinese Buddhist temple where enshrines the flesh body of monk Jin Qiaojue - the manifestation of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. He was a Korean prince and developed strong interest in Buddhism when studying in China during Tang Dynasty. Then he became a monk and returned to China to cultivate himself on Mount Jiuhua and vowed to edify all human beings before his Buddhahood. After 75-year assiduous practice with devout conviction, he died at the age of 99 in Mount Jihua in 794 AD. His remain keeps intact and unrotten after three years of his death and he was very similar in appearance to Dizang Buddhisattva. Thus, he was sanctified as sacred reincarnation of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva by followers.
Afterwards, get to Zhiyuan Temple, the largest Buddhist temple and the only palatial temple on Mount Jiuhua. Beyond the most complete architectures, the temple preserves the precious Tripitaka, the only official Tripitaka of Qing Dynasty, over 100 Buddha sculptures and huge cooper pots.
Stay overnight in Jiuhua Street on Mount Jiuhua.
After breakfast, take cable car to Heavenly Terrace Peak (Tiantai Peak, elevation: 1,306 meters), the main peak of Mount Jiuhua. An old saying goes “you never reach Mount Jiuhua without a visit to Heavenly Terrace Peak”. First, take a short hike to visit Ancient Lecture Temple, a small Tang Dynasty temple sitting steep hillside, where Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is said to once chant Avatamsaka Sutra.
Next, hike upward to visit Tiantai Temple on the summit, the highest temple of Mount Jiuhua that has been visited by Kim Qiaojue and many famous monks. Take your time to visit Wanfo Hall (Ten-Thousand Buddha Hall), Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Hall and Avalokitesvara Hall, trace footprints of master monks and absorb the strong Buddhist culture. The maintain top is still a wonderful location to catch a panoramic view of breathtaking natural scenery of Mount Jiuhua, including thin mist floating among gently rolling hills, grotesque pine trees growing on monstrous rocks and nearby Shiwang Peak - the highest peak of Mount Jiuhua (elevation: 1344.4 meters).
After that, take cable car down to visit the Phoenix Ancient Pine with an old age of over 1,400 years. This 7.68-meter-tall pine tree is named after its vivid shape of a flying phoenix spreading its wings and has been inspiration for lots of poems, photography and paintings.
Last, visit Zhantanlin Temple, one of the four most important Buddhist temples of Mount Jiuhua. Continue your holy Buddhist pilgrimage to the 19-meter-high statue of Thousand Armed and Eyed Avalokitesvara and 84 Buddha statues enshrined in the elegant Dabei Hall (Great Compassion Hall), giant statues of the Three Saints of Hua-yan in Huayan Hall and 9.9-meter-tall tetrahedral statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in Dayuan Grand Hall. Exquisitly carved ridgepoles, beams, doors, windows and brackets are outstanding features you should see.
After the tour, you will be escorted to the airport or train station to catch your flight or train to next destination.
Tips of Main Buddhist Festivals & Temple Fairs of Mount Jiuhua: Many Buddhist ceremonies are held in main Buddhist temples of Mount Jiuhua in different months each year. Buddhist pilgrims can check the date and select a best time to go. 1.) Land-water Dharma Assembly: held from July 30 of the lunar calendar every year and lasts 7 days; the biggest one takes place in Tiantai Temple. 2. Bon Festival: held on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month; famous rite is in Shangchantang Temple from July 8th to 15th of lunar calendar. 3.) Ksitigarbha Temple Fair (Dizang Temple Fair): from July 30th to August 6th of lunar calendar for the birth and enlightenment of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. 4.) Buddha Bathing Ceremony: celebrated on the 8th day of the 4th Lunar Month annually for the birth of Buddha.
Departure Ideas: 1. Chizhou Jiuhuashan Airport has flights connecting with Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xiamen, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Kunming, Jinan, and Nanjing, etc. 2. Chizhou Railway Station has high speed trains to Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Wuxi, Nanjing, etc.
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Shanghai / Jiuhuashan / Huangshan
Shanghai / Mount Jiuhua
Huangshan / Mount Jiuhua
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