A Foreign Monk Attains Buddhahood
Before visiting, the beauty and mystery of Mount Jiuhua had already filled my mind—a Buddhist paradise, the bodhimanda of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, where after a high monk's parinirvana his physical body remains incorruptible, one of the Four Sacred Mountains of Chinese Buddhism, and a major source of premium Polygonatum. So I eagerly packed my bags and immediately embarked on a whirlwind trip to Mount Jiuhua.
I had always thought that Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva was a fictional deity, but the guide's introduction completely shattered my preconceptions. First, I never imagined Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva was a real person; second, I never expected that Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva was actually a 'Korean'.
According to historical records: Jin Qiaojue (696–794) was a Korean monk, commonly known as 'Jin Dizang'. He was a close relative of the king of the ancient Silla Kingdom (present-day southeastern Korean Peninsula). At age 24, he shaved his head and became a monk. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty in China, he came to seek the Dharma. Passing through Nanling and other places, he arrived at Mount Jiuhua. There, in a remote uninhabited area, he chose a cave to dwell and practice. It is said that at that time, the entire Mount Jiuhua was the territory of the layman Min Ranghe of Qingyang County. Jin Qiaojue asked him for a piece of land the size of a monk's robe. Unexpectedly, when he spread the robe, it covered all nine peaks. Min Ranghe was astonished, then delighted. He first had his son become a disciple, and later he himself converted. To this day, the attendants flanking the Kṣitigarbha statue in the temples of Mount Jiuhua are Min Ranghe and his son.
In the second year of the Zhide era of Tang (757 AD), the temple was completed. Jin Dizang now had a place to reside and conditions to accept disciples and keep them in the temple. Jin Qiaojue's fame spread far and wide, and even Korean monks, upon hearing of it, crossed the sea to serve him. In the tenth year of the Zhenyuan era of Tang (794 AD), Jin Qiaojue, at the age of 99, suddenly summoned his disciples to bid farewell, and passed away in a lotus position. His physical body was placed in a casket, and after three years, 'his complexion remained as in life, his hands were soft, and when shaken, his joints made a sound like rattling golden locks.' All Buddhist followers recognized that he was the manifestation of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva. They built a stone pagoda and enshrined his body inside, honoring him as 'Jin Dizang'. Later, they added a hall, called the 'Physical Body Hall'. From then on, Mount Jiuhua's fame spread far. According to the guide, his physical body is still enshrined in the Physical Body Hall.
However, my first stop at Mount Jiuhua was actually a bit of a 'trick' by the guide. Mount Jiuhua is very large, divided into the Tianta, Huatai, and Jiuhua Street scenic areas. The guide said that the highest point of Huatai offers extremely beautiful scenery, concentrating Mount Jiuhua's natural beauty, and most importantly, one can see high-altitude azaleas covering the mountainsides. For someone like me, a 'youthful wind' (well, sorry, I'm being narcissistic again), how could I pass up such scenery? Without hesitation, I chose this area.
After a long cable car ride, I finally arrived at the Huatai high-altitude plank road. The Huatai high-altitude plank road is built along the mountain, winding along cliffs and precipices. The cliff beneath my feet seemed bottomless, making me marvel: modern people surpass the ancients. Even though walking on the plank road still made me a bit nervous, I could enjoy views of the mountain that are usually unseen.
Haha, although I finished the high-altitude plank road, with only one day left and the long uphill road ahead, I had to give up. In the end, I didn't see the high-altitude azaleas I had been longing for. Dear readers, to find out what happens next, please listen to the next installment.
Tips:
1. At the tourist distribution center next to Chizhou Railway Station, there are tourist buses to Mount Jiuhua with a guide, costing about 50 yuan per person. However, after arriving at the Mount Jiuhua Tourist Center, you need to take the internal scenic area shuttle to reach the scenic spots. The shuttle pass costs 50 yuan and includes one round trip on three routes.
- Mount Jiuhua Tourist Service Center (Kecun) → Yingxian Bridge (Jiuhua Street), about 14 km of mountain road.
- Mount Jiuhua Tourist Service Center (Kecun) → Huatai Cable Car Station.
- Huxing Mountain → Fenghuang Pine, about 7.5 km of mountain road.
The last bus from Yingxian Bridge (Jiuhua Street) to Mount Jiuhua Tourist Service Center (Kecun) is at 17:00.
2. To visit Huatai Scenic Area, for the vast majority of tourists, the only option is to take the cable car. Round trip costs 160 yuan, one way 85 yuan. No entrance fee is charged because there is no proper hiking trail. The cable car route is long, taking about 20 minutes. You can sit and enjoy the scenery, as the view is indeed beautiful. However, if your physical condition is not up to it or time is tight, it's recommended not to go up; instead, head directly to Jiuhua Street, as it is the core scenic area.
