The Four Sacred Mountains in Chinese Buddhism

The Four Sacred Mountains in Chinese Buddhism

While many of China’s mountains have become revered over history, four in particular are believed especially sacred. Mountains are where heaven and earth touch and in this vein, Chinese believe that bodhisattvas, or Buddhist disciples who have reached nirvana but come back to earth to help mortals on their own paths to enlightenment, dwell in four sacred mountains.

Wu Tai Shan (north)

Considered the best established of the four Buddhist holy mountains, Wu Tai Shan, "woo tai shahn", means five-terraced mountain and refers to the five flat peaks in the area. It is the holiest of the sacred peaks and is dedicated to Manjushri (or Wenshu Pusa in Chinese), the Bodhisatva of wisdom and virtue.

Jiu Hua Shan (south)

Pronounced “jyo hwah shan”, meaning nine brilliant mountains in Mandarin, Jiuhuashan is the Buddhist holy mountain in the south.The temples here are dedicated to Bodhisatva Kshitigarbha, guardian of the earth.
Jiuhuashan is located in Anhui province, a province just west of Shanghai. The Jiuhuashan range actually covers about 100 square km and 99 peaks, the tallest of which is 1341m.

Putuoshan（ East）

The temples here are dedicated to Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, or Guanyin, the goddess of mercy and compassion. The island is a national park and garners an entrance fee (not inclusive of inexpensive entry fees for temples and other attractions).

Putuoshan is located on a small island off the coast of Zhejiang province in the East China Sea. It is easily (and best) accessible from Shanghai.

Emei Shan (west)

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the temples here are dedicated to the Bodhisatva Puxian (Samantabhadra). Emei Shan is about 90 miles (150km) southwest from the capital of Sichuan province, Chengdu, in western China.