A Visit to Mount Jiuhua

In Jing County, we spent an afternoon visiting the former site of the New Fourth Army Headquarters, mainly seeing two sites: the army headquarters and the grand auditorium. Since we hadn't planned where to stay, we couldn't visit more scenic spots, which left us a bit regretful. At dusk, we left Yunling and drove straight to Mount Jiuhua.

We parked at the Mount Jiuhua Tourist Center parking lot and used our phones to find accommodation. Someone approached us offering lodging; combining that with information from our phones, we finally agreed on a standard room for 65 yuan per night at the Limin Hotel at the foot of Mount Jiuhua.

On the morning of the 12th, we got up early and drove directly up Mount Jiuhua. Unlike Huangshan, you can drive your own car all the way to Jiuhua Town, or you can take the scenic area shuttle bus for 50 yuan per person. The entrance ticket was 60 yuan per person, with half price for those over 60 and free for those over 65. After arriving at Jiuhua Street, we found a parking spot, paid 15 yuan for all-day parking, and had breakfast at a nearby stall, which offered a wide variety of food at reasonable prices.

Mount Jiuhua is one of the famous Buddhist sacred sites in China, with many visitors being devout pilgrims. Many came in groups to pay homage; everywhere was filled with incense smoke and the sound of Buddhist chanting. Even during the pandemic, there were still many tourists and worshippers. For many visitors to Mount Jiuhua, the focus is often not on the scenery but on the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas enshrined in the various temples. Everywhere you could see devout worshippers quietly prostrating themselves to the faith in their hearts, seeking their true mindfulness, and seeking themselves. At noon, we had a bowl of vegetarian noodles at a vegetarian restaurant, rested, and then drove away from Mount Jiuhua, heading to Zhenjiang.