Journey to a sacred mountain
PILGRIMS and tourists flock to Wutai Mountain in Shanxi Province, one of China’s four sacred mountains. Dotted with monasteries and temples, it’s the place to pray for career and exam success. Yao Minji pays a visit.
A fleeing bribery suspect from Sichuan Province was recently captured by police onw Wutai Mountain in Shanxi Province, one of China’s most famous sacred mountains, dotted with 50 monasteries and temples.
The suspect, who was on the run with a woman, was spotted near Xiantong Temple, the largest and one of the most crowded places of worship on the mountain. It’s also one of the earliest temples in China, first built in AD 69.
He probably went there to pray for a successful getaway.
Millions of people, Buddhists and non-Buddhists, visit these sacred sites every year. Some go on pilgrimage to make wishes and some to express thanks and perform good deeds in return for wishes that have been granted. Some are interested in the well-preserved monasteries and temples, built over long periods, some dating back to the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220). Hardly anything from that era is detectable today, because of major reconstruction.
Buddhist cultural tourism has been developing fast in recent years.
The four sacred Chinese mountains are Wutai (Five Plateau Mountain) in Shanxi Province, Putuo in Zhejiang Province, Emei in Sichuan Province and Jiuhua in Anhui Province.
They are among the most popular tourist attractions because of their history and because they are said to be the best place to pray – wishes are more likely to come true there.
The four peaks are said to be the abodes of the four great bodhisattvas. Wutai Mountain is home to Manjusri, bodhisattva of wisdom, and many worshippers make a pilgrimage to pray for success in exams and career.
Emei Mountain is the home of Samantabhadra, bodhisattva of Buddhist practice and meditation, and many people go there to pray for health. Putuo Mountain, home to Avalokitesvara, the most compassionate of all bodhisattvas, is a popular place to pray to bear children and for peace.
Jiuhua Mountain is associated with the Ksitigarbha bodhisattva, who brings consolation to the suffering beings in hell and protects children.
Rising to prosperity
The Emei Shan Tourism Co Ltd, listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, announced last week that its revenue from the first quarter of 2012 had reached 1.721 billion yuan (US$268.9 million), a 37.47-percent increase year-on-year. The company also announced it would invest 242 million yuan to renovate a hotel on the mountain.
The other three mountains have also been rising to prosperity, investing in infrastructure and facilities. Wutai Mountain alone has improved roads a couple of times in the past five years.
Last week, Wutai Mountain released a set of gold and silver coins, bearing images of temples and the Manjusri bodhisattva, priced at around 5,000 yuan. It is one of the most valued tourist sites in Shanxi, which has an abundance of Buddhist sites.
Buddhism was introduced to China from India during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), and was widely promoted near the end of the Jin Dynasty (AD 265-420) and during the Sixteen Kingdoms Period (AD 304-439), when many short-lived minority sovereign states ruled today’s Shanxi. Minority rulers vigorously promoted the import of Buddhism in an effort to make the Han people more accepting and amenable to their rule.
Buddhism was integrated with the local culture and the area is filled with ancient sites.
Preparing Chinese Tea
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