Mount Jiuhua

One of China's Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains and the holy site of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, Mount Jiuhua is crowded with temples from the Hall of the Flesh-Body to Tiantai Peak, and ranks among the Yangtze River Delta's most popular places to go and pray for blessings.

Mount Jiuhua lies in Qingyang County, Chizhou, Anhui Province, overlooking the Yangtze River to the north and bordering Huangshan to the south. It covers about 120 km², and its highest peak, Shiwang Peak, rises to 1,344 m. During the Tang dynasty the poet Li Bai saw its nine peaks as lotus blossoms and renamed it "Jiuhua" (Nine Flowers). One of China's Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains and the holy site of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, it is said to have drawn the Silla prince Kim Gyo-gak, who arrived in the Kaiyuan era of the Tang and practiced austerities here for 75 years; after his death his body did not decay, and he was revered as "Jin Dizang" (Golden Ksitigarbha). Temples multiplied in the centuries that followed — nearly a hundred temples and nunneries survive today, earning it the name "Lotus Buddha Land" — and it is also a national AAAAA-rated scenic area and a UNESCO Global Geopark. A visit falls into three parts: first, the core area around Jiuhua Street halfway up the mountain, where Huacheng Temple, the Hall of the Flesh-Body, Qiyuan Temple, Baisui Palace, Zhantan Forest and others cluster at around 600 m and can all be linked on foot; second, the high Tiantai–Huatai area, where Tiantai Temple (Dizang Chan Temple) sits on Tiantai Peak — as the saying goes, "if you haven't reached Tiantai, you haven't really come" — reachable by cable car or along an old pilgrim trail, while Huatai is known for its striking pines, odd rock formations and azaleas; third, the Dayuan Cultural Park in the new Kecun district at the foot of the mountain, whose 99 m open-air bronze statue of Ksitigarbha is a new landmark, right next to the Mount Jiuhua Visitor Center. The climate is humid subtropical monsoon, and summers on the mountain are cool. Spring (Apr–May), when the azaleas bloom, and autumn (Sep–Nov), with its clear skies and crisp air, are the best times to visit; winter occasionally brings snow, but watch out for icy mountain paths. The days around Ksitigarbha's birthday on the 30th day of the 7th lunar month and the Chinese New Year holiday are peak pilgrimage seasons, with huge crowds of worshippers and scarce accommodation. Getting there: Jiuhuashan Station is on the Chizhou–Huangshan high-speed railway (opened in 2024), or you can take a high-speed train to Chizhou Station and transfer to a tourist shuttle (about 1 hour); direct tourist coaches run from Hefei, Nanjing, Shanghai and other cities; at the visitor center, switch to the scenic-area shuttle bus up to Jiuhua Street. Allow 2 days and 1 night: on day one, visit the Dayuan Cultural Park, then head up the mountain to tour the temples of Jiuhua Street and stay overnight; on day two, climb Tiantai at dawn for sunrise over the sea of clouds and descend in the afternoon. Admission is about ¥160 in peak season and about ¥140 in low season (roughly mid-November to mid-January); shuttle buses and cable cars cost extra. Check official sources for current prices. Tips: do not photograph Buddha statues inside the temples, and dress modestly; bringing your own incense and candles saves money — beware of vendors on the mountain paths selling overpriced incense; vegetarian temple food on Jiuhua Street, Jiuhua Solomon's seal (huangjing) and Buddhist tea are local specialties; the climbs are steep, so wear non-slip shoes.

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