Roaming the World (1468): A Journey through Anhui and Hubei by Car, Part 3 – Driving Tour of Mount Jiuhua
In early April 2021, during a trip to Anhui Province, I visited Mount Jiuhua. The photo was taken at the 'Jiuhua Scenic Spot' stone archway at the entrance of Mount Jiuhua.
Also known as Lingyang Mountain or Jiuzi Mountain, it is one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains in China, located in Qingyang County, Chizhou City, Anhui Province. It is often called the 'First Mountain of the Southeast' because of its extraordinary peaks and unusual formations. From a distance, the peaks look like nine brothers standing side by side, hence the name 'Jiuzi Mountain' (Nine Sons Mountain). The photo was taken at the Dayuan Cultural Park of Mount Jiuhua.
Legend has it that the mountain was renamed 'Jiuhua Mountain' (Nine Glorious Mountains) because of Li Bai's poem 'Looking at Mount Jiuhua and Presenting It to Wei Zhongkan of Qingyang' from the Tang Dynasty: 'In the past on the Jiujiang River, I gazed at the Jiuhua peaks from afar.' It is believed to be the site where Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva manifested his transformation. In Buddhism, Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva symbolizes 'great filial piety' and 'great vows.' The photo was taken at the Dayuan Cultural Park of Mount Jiuhua.
The temple complex on Mount Jiuhua, combining residential and palace-style architecture, is unique among Han Chinese Buddhist sites. Among the 99 existing temples, 9, including Huacheng Temple, are listed as national key protected temples, while 30, including Xiaotiantai, are provincial key protected temples. The photo was taken at Pingtan Temple on Mount Jiuhua.
Mount Jiuhua is now a National Natural and Cultural Heritage Site, a National AAAAA Tourist Attraction, a National Geopark and Forest Park, a National Civilized Scenic Area, one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains in China, and a world-renowned site where Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva manifested his transformation. It is a national key scenic area characterized by Buddhist culture and natural and human sacred landscapes. The photo was taken at the Dayuan Cultural Park of Mount Jiuhua.
These outwardly simple yet beautiful Buddhist palaces and exquisitely crafted hermitages, some perched on steep cliffs and others scattered among mountain forests and groves, create a layered, harmonious scene that transforms Mount Jiuhua into a 'Buddhist Land on Earth.' The photo was taken at Guanyin Temple on Mount Jiuhua.
This travelogue is called 'Driving Tour of Mount Jiuhua' because one of our older companions had trouble with his legs and asked to minimize walking and rely more on cars or cable cars. Since I had visited Mount Jiuhua before, I didn't mind. Hence, this 'driving tour.' The photo shows the first stop of the driving tour: Pingtan Temple.
Pingtan Temple is located at the foot of Lotus Peak on Mount Jiuhua. It was built during the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty (1465-1487) by the founding monk Xianyu. During the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty (1851-1861), it was destroyed and later rebuilt through fundraising by Monk Kaitong. At that time, the temple was large, housing over a hundred resident monks, with constant ringing of bells and drums. During its heyday, it had a mountain gate, a release pond, a Kṣitigarbha Hall, and monk quarters. Pingtan Temple was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, but the ruins remain and incense offerings never ceased. In 2010, efforts began to raise funds for its reconstruction. The photo shows the reconstructed Mahavira Hall.
The reconstructed Pingtan Temple will include the Mahavira Hall (with an underground palace beneath), a Meditation Hall (Chan Hall), a Sutra Repository, a Kṣitigarbha Hall, a Guanyin Hall, a Bell and Drum Tower, a Mountain Gate Hall, a Rebirth Hall, a Longevity Hall, a Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda, a Guest Hall, guest rooms (courtyard-style), a Dining Hall, monk quarters, a Nursing Home, and a Release Pond. The photo shows the 9.9-meter copper statue of Kṣitigarbha King at Pingtan Temple.
The reconstructed Pingtan Temple has already built the Kṣitigarbha Hall, the Three Saints Hall, the Meditation Hall, and a few monk quarters. The photo shows the Meditation Hall of Pingtan Temple.
The reconstructed Pingtan Temple features carved beams, painted rafters, and resplendent splendor.
This is the Guanyin statue behind the Mahavira Hall.
Pingtan Temple has revived its past incense and prayer activities, with monks chanting sutras daily.
Pingtan Temple is located at the foot of Lotus Peak, surrounded by beautiful natural scenery.
The 2.2-kilometer cement road leading out from Pingtan Temple has been completed, allowing our car to drive directly to the temple. The photo was taken at Pingtan Temple.
The second stop of our 'driving tour of Mount Jiuhua' was Guanyin Temple. Guanyin Temple is located at Wangjiashan, Miaoqian Town, at the northern foot of Mount Jiuhua, adjacent to the 99-meter outdoor copper statue of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, facing Lotus Peak and Lion Peak from a distance. The photo was taken at Guanyin Temple.
The Jiuhua River flows around the front of Guanyin Temple. It is said that Kṣitigarbha's manifestation, Jin Qiaojue, rested here before going to Mount Jiuhua. Since ancient times, this has been a necessary stop for pilgrims from all directions. Our car was also able to drive directly to Guanyin Temple. The photo shows the Jiuhua River in front of Guanyin Temple.
This is the newly built Heavenly King Hall.
This is the newly built Guanyin Hall.
These are the Four Heavenly Kings in the Heavenly King Hall.
This is Skanda Bodhisattva in the Heavenly King Hall.
Jiuhua Guanyin Temple, originally named Guanyin Chan Temple, was founded at the end of the Ming Dynasty. It suffered destruction during the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty and the Cultural Revolution, going through several rises and falls, leaving only fragmented steles and stone carvings. Reconstruction began in 2006. The photo shows the newly built Mahavira Hall.
The Thousand-Armed Guanyin in the Guanyin Hall.
This is the newly built Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda, nine stories high, adorned with Han and Tang style colorful paintings, towering and majestic.
In addition, the Sutra Tower, Kṣitigarbha Hall, God of Wealth Hall, Meditation Hall, Dining Hall, Monk Quarters, Buddhist Hotel, Guanyin Bridge, pavilions, and towers have all been completed, with a total construction area of nearly 10,000 square meters, receiving hundreds of thousands of pilgrims annually. The photo was taken at Guanyin Temple.
The natural scenery around Guanyin Temple is also beautiful. Guanyin Temple holds various meditation, blessing, liberation, sutra chanting, repentance, flame-mouth, and water-and-land Buddhist activities throughout the year, and also offers opportunities for long-term offerings of Buddha statues and prayer plaques. The photo was taken at Guanyin Temple.
The third stop of our 'driving tour of Mount Jiuhua' was Huatai. The Huatai Scenic Area, consisting of Great Huatai and Little Huatai, is one of the high-altitude scenic areas of Mount Jiuhua. Our car was able to drive directly to the parking lot near the Huatai Cable Car Station. The photo shows the Huatai Cable Car Station.
Huatai Scenic Area is located north of Tiantai Peak, named for its abundance of mountain flowers. It is a newly developed scenic area in the Mount Jiuhua Scenic Zone, primarily focusing on natural landscapes. The photo shows an introduction board of Huatai Scenic Area.
As one of the core scenic areas of Mount Jiuhua, Huatai is also the central part of the Mount Jiuhua National Forest Park and Geopark, covering an area of 10 square kilometers. The scenery is magnificent and beautiful, known for its unique peaks, strange rocks, sea of clouds, rime, and a sea of flowers. It is often said, 'The beauty of Mount Jiuhua lies in Huatai.' The photo shows a guide map of Huatai Scenic Area.
The scenery in Huatai changes with the seasons and weather, presenting different views. On the morning we visited, there was a beautiful sea of clouds visible. But when we took the cable car up the mountain, it started to rain.
After getting off the cable car, visibility was less than 10 meters.
Staff on the mountain told us that rain and fog were worse ahead and advised us to be careful.
Apart from the pine trees in front, we couldn't see anything else.
The once crowded plank road was now completely empty.
The once crowded plank road was now completely empty.
The rain and fog were too heavy, so we had to turn back.
At the top of Huatai, there is a circular walking route. We hadn't finished walking the high-altitude plank road that day.
Huatai Peak stands tall and unique, with abundant mountain flowers, lush trees, and cleverly shaped rocks that resemble humans and objects vividly. The scenic area is surrounded by ravines and peaks. Within the area, peaks rise sharply, strange rocks are scattered, valleys and caves are deep, pines twist like dragons, mountain flowers bloom brilliantly, competing in beauty, creating a scene of endless variety. The classic 'Huatai Spring Scenery' is one of the new ten scenic spots of Mount Jiuhua. We could only regret missing it this time! The photo shows Huatai evening scenery captured from a promotional board.
The fourth stop of our 'driving tour of Mount Jiuhua' was the Dayuan Cultural Park. The Dayuan Cultural Park is located at Kecun, at the northern foot of the Mount Jiuhua Scenic Area, Qingyang County, Chizhou City, Anhui Province. Our car was able to drive directly to the Dayuan Cultural Park parking lot. The photo is a memento taken at the entrance of the Dayuan Cultural Park.
To fully highlight Buddhist characteristics and regional features, the designers boldly innovated on the basis of traditional architectural forms, skillfully incorporating the magnificent style of Han and Tang dynasty architecture into the Dayuan Cultural Park, expressing the unique charm of Tang style and Hui charm, with strong artistic individuality and practical sightseeing functions. The photo shows the Great Vow Tripod near the entrance of the Mount Jiuhua Dayuan Cultural Park.
This is the Five-Bridge near the entrance of the Mount Jiuhua Dayuan Cultural Park.
The Dayuan Cultural Park covers a total planned area of 2,836 mu (about 189 hectares), divided into three functional zones: the main scenic area, Impression Jiuhua, and the World Buddhist Cultural Exchange Center. This is the Lotus Plaza at the entrance of the Mount Jiuhua Dayuan Cultural Park.
Main attractions in the scenic area include: Lotus Plaza, Five-Bridge, Imitation Archway, Jiuzi Kasaya Plaza, Hongyuan Hall, Three Truths in Perfect Harmony, Pure Land Lotus, and Eight Merits Water. The photo shows a white marble lotus stone carving at the Mount Jiuhua Dayuan Cultural Park.
The Mount Jiuhua Dayuan Cultural Park consists of the 99-meter Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva statue and supporting scenic spots and service facilities, covering over 1,500 mu (about 100 hectares). It is a tourist destination that integrates natural landscapes with Buddhist culture, blending traditional art with modern technology, suitable for worship, meditation, health cultivation, and leisure sightseeing. From several kilometers away, one can see the 99-meter outdoor copper statue of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva standing at the foot of Lion Peak. The outdoor copper statue of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva is magnificent, reaching 99 meters in height, aligning with the 99 peaks of Mount Jiuhua and the 99-year lifespan of Jin Qiaojue, the manifestation of Kṣitigarbha.
