The Mount Emei – A Famous Buddhist Mountain in China

Written by Clementine | Updated September 11,2025

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• Brief Introduction to Mount Emei
• Fast Facts about Mount Emei
• What to See at Mt. Emei ? (Main Attractions)
• Things to Do at Mount Emei
• What Hotels Are Near Mount Emei? – Accommodation
• How Can I Get to Mount Emei? – Transportation
• What’s the Best Viewing Time of Mount Emei?
• How Can I Get to Mount Emei?
• Transportation within Mount Emei
• Mount Emei Accommodation
• Know Before You Visit Mount Emei
• How to Plan Your Mt. Emei Tour

Brief Introduction to Mount Emei

Mount Emei, located in the southwest of Sichuan Province, attracts numerous visitors each year for its extraordinary natural scenery and profound Buddhist culture. In 1996, Mount Emei was listed as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO together with Leshan Giant Buddha. Actually few people know that Mount Emei is composed of four mountains named Da’e Mountain, Er’e Mountain, San’e Mountain and Si’e Mountain respectively, and the Mount Emei we usually say mainly refers to Da’e Mountain. The mountain stretches from north to south for 23 kilometers and covers an area of about 115 square kilometers. Its highest peak, Ten-thousand Buddhas Peak, is 3,099 meters above sea level and more than 2,600 meters higher than the surrounding plain.

The mountain is not only rich in natural heritage with the reputation of “Plant Kingdom”, “Animal Paradise” and “Geological Museum” but also rich in cultural heritage. It is one of the four famous Buddhist mountains in China and the ashram for Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. There are about 300 monks and nuns in the whole mountain and nearly 30 large and small temples. The most influential ones are Baoguo Temple, Fuhu Temple, Wannian Temple, Qingyin Pavilion, and Huazang Temple.

Fast Facts about Mount Emei

• Location: Emeishan City, Sichuan Province, China (about 150 km from Chengdu, near Leshan)
• Opening Hours:06:00 – 18:30 (summer) 07:00 – 17:30 (winter)
• Best Time to Visit:April–June/September–November for traveling with mild weather; winter (Nov–Mar) for gaining snow views
• Recommended Duration:2–3 days to fully explore the site including its main temples, hiking trails, and summit
• Ticket Prices: Low season (Dec–Jan): 110 RMB; high season (Feb–Nov): 160 RMB; Cable cars and sightseeing buses require separate fees
• UNESCO Status: Being listed as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site since 1996

What to See at Mt. Emei ? (Main Attractions)

Baoguo Temple

At an altitude of 551 meters, Baoguo Temple is located at the foot of Mount Emei. It is the first temple on the mountain. It is also the place where the Buddhist Association of Mount Emei is located and the center of Buddhist activities. Among the many temples on the mountain, Baoguo Temple is the gateway to the mountain. The temple also houses the Cultural Relics Management Office of Mount Emei which boasts a collection of various ceramics, jades, literature, calligraphy works, paintings, metal utensils, and weapons and tools from the Warring States Period (475 — 221BC).

Golden Summit

3079 meters high, Golden Summit is the symbol of Mount Emei. Atop the Golden Summit, visitors can enjoy sunrise, sea of clouds, Buddha’s halo and holy light. When the morning sun shines on the top of the mountain, the Golden Hall on the summit looks so dazzling and magnificent, so people call it the “Golden Summit”. But behind its splendor there’s a sad story that the temple was once reduced to ashes two times. Standing on the Golden Summit, one will feel so close to the heaven. The 48m high golden statue of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva will surely take your breath away.

Wannian Temple

Built in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317 — 420), Wannian Temple is one of the time-honored temples on the mountain. The top highlight of the temple is the beamless brick hall which was built in the 28^th year of Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty (1600) for his mother’s birthday. The temple also has three priceless treasures, a Buddha’s tooth (it actually is an over 200,000-year-old tooth of stegodon according to the experts) given by a foreign friend as a gift, palm-leaf scriptures from a king of Siam (now known as Thailand), and a royal seal bestowed by Emperor Wanli.

Qingyin Pavilion

Sitting on the range between Heilong River and Bailong River, Qingyin Pavilion is very precipitous. Although this quaint temple is small in size, it is so picturesque, surrounded by dense forest. Its overall layout reflects the concept of “harmony between man and nature”. It is a great example of the Buddhist temple architecture in China.

Ecological Monkey Zone

With mild climate, flowing springs, plunging waterfalls, flourishing woods and tall bamboo bushes, the Ecological Monkey Zone on Mount Emei is an ideal habitat for monkeys. It is the largest Ecological Monkey Zone in China. According to survey statistics, there are more than 1,000 monkeys. These monkeys are not afraid of people and always snatch food from tourists. Please note to conceal your food. It’s better not to eat in front of them. They will get excited and jump on you. Highly recommend not to carry plastic bags in your hands.

Things to Do at Mount Emei

Hike

Hiking is a great way to embrace nature and immerse yourself in the magnificence of a mountain. However, many people feel confused when it comes to plan a reasonable hiking route in a limited time. Here are two Mount Emei hiking routes for your reference.

1 Day Hiking Route:

Take the sightseeing bus at Baoguo Temple Station to Leidongping, and then walk to Jieyin Hall to take the cable car up to Golden Summit; take the cable car down to Leidongping, get on the sightseeing bus to Wannian Temple Parking Lot, and then change to the cable car to Wannian Temple; after finishing Wannian Temple, walk to visit Qingyin Pavilion and Ecological Monkey Zone, and then go to Wuxiangang Parking Lot to take the sightseeing bus back to Baoguo Temple.

2 Days Hiking Route:

Day 1: Start with Baoguo Temple, walk to visit Fuhu Temple, continue walking to Qingyin Pavilion and then head to Ecological Monkey Zone. After visiting the monkey zone, move on to Wuxiangang Parking Lot to take the sightseeing bus to Leidongping. Spend the night at Leidongping.

Day 2: You can walk to Golden Summit (about 2 hours) or take the cable car according to your physical conditions. After finishing Golden Summit, walk or take the cable car back to Leidongping and get on the sightseeing bus to Wannian Temple Parking Lot. Go to Wannian Temple by the cable car or walking (about 40 minutes), walk further to Qingyin Pavilion, and then go to Wuxiangang Parking Lot to take the sightseeing bus back to Baoguo Temple.

Take a Hot Spring Spa

With an area of 770,000 square kilometers, Hot Spring Happy Valley near Baoguo Temple is the largest hot spring theme park in China. There is a total of 153 pools scattered in the lush forest. You will totally relax yourself when indulging in the rare radon hot spring water after hiking the whole day.

Mount Emei is shrouded in mist for 320 days a year, and annual rainfall is between 1,200 and 1,800 millimeters, which makes it a great tea growing place. At 800-1,200 meters above sea level there is a large beautiful tea garden. It’s the place that Xueya green tea comes from. From March to early June, visitors can experience the fun of picking tea leaves with local tea farmers and making tea. It’s nice to learn about tea culture while enjoying the wonderful scenery.

Go Skiing

Leidongping Ski Resort on the mountain is the largest alpine skiing site in the Southwest China. The average annual temperature is 5 degrees, and the snowfall period is from early October to the end of the next March. The thickness of the snow is about 1 meter. All these factors create an ideal venue for skiing. There are various interesting activities such as skiing, dog sledding, and hovercraft to keep you entertained.

What Hotels Are Near Mount Emei? – Accommodation

As Mount Emei is a well-developed scenic spot, there are a variety of accommodation options, such as temples, hotels, and farmhouses. The price ranges from dozens to hundreds or even thousands of yuan a night. What’s special about the mountain is that almost all temples can provide accommodation for travelers. This is particularly suitable for hikers. The popular ones like Baoguo Temple, Qingyin Pavilion, Hongchunping tend to be booked out in busy season, so you need to book in advance.

How Can I Get to Mount Emei? – Transportation

It’s very convenient to travel from Chengdu to Mount Emei. It only takes about one hour and 20 minutes to reach the mountain from Chengdu East Railway Station by bullet train. It takes approximately 2.5 hours by bus from Chengdu Xinnanmen Bus Station, and the bus departs every 20 minutes from 06:40 — 19:20.

What’s the Best Viewing Time of Mount Emei?

Mount Emei’s climate changes dramatically with altitude, so you’re probably feel like crossing two worlds while climbing from a subtropical base to an alpine summit. Mist often shrouds the mountain—on average 320 days a year—so catching a clear sunrise or panoramic view requires some luck, but it’s always worth a try. Spring and autumn bring the clearest skies, comfortable temperatures, and vibrant seasonal colors, and that’s one major reason why countless people would go there every year for photography and sightseeing.

Sunrise: 6:00 in summer, 7:00 in winter

Sea of clouds: 9:00-10:00, 15:00-16:00

Buddha’s halo: 9:00-10:00, 15:00-16:00

Holy light: nights at the beginning or end of a lunar month and when the sky clears up after rain

Admire azaleas: April to May at Leidongping, May to June at Ten-thousand Buddhas Peak

Avoid summer heat: June to October

Admire red leaves: October

Skiing: November to next March

Watch monkeys: all the year round

How Can I Get to Mount Emei?

From Chengdu

• By High-Speed Train: From Chengdu East Railway Station to Emeishan Railway Station (about 1 hour 20 minutes). Once arrive atEmei’s station, take a local bus or a direct taxi ride (20 minutes) to the scenic area entrance at Baoguo Temple.
• By Long-Distance Bus: From Chengdu EastBus Station/Shiyangchang Bus station to Emeishan Scenic Area Bus Station (about 2.5 hours). Buses run every hour between 09:10–18:1

From Leshan

• By Train: Leshan Railway Station to Emeishan Railway Station (about 15minutes by high-speed train).
• By Bus: Direct buses from Leshan central Bus Station/Xiaoba Bus Stationto Emeishan transportation center take about 30 minutes.

Transportation within Mount Emei

Once inside the scenic area, you can combine walking with several transportation options:

Sightseeing Buses:

Connect major scenic points such as Baoguo Temple, Wuxiangang, Wannian Temple, Leidongping, and the Golden Summit cable car station.

Cable Cars:

Golden Summit Cable Car: From Jieyin Hall to Golden Summit

Wannian Temple Cable Car: From the parking lot to Wannian Temple

Walking/Hiking:

Many visitors would also try to walk between temples and natural attractions, especially from Baoguo Temple up to Qingyin Pavilion or the Ecological Monkey Zone.

Mount Emei Accommodation

Mount Emei offers various lodging options which can surely suit every budget and travel style:

Baoguo Temple Area (at the foot of the mountain)

• Best for those arriving late or preferringeasy access to transport, restaurants, and hot springs.
• Don’t worry about the cost. You can choose from budget hostels to mid-range hotels and luxury resorts.
• About 5–10 minutes’drive to the scenic area entrance, super convenient.

Leidongping Area (near Golden Summit)

• Ideal for those wanting to catch the sunrise or sea of clouds without a long morning hike.
• However, there’s only limited options, and most of them are justguesthouses and basic hotels—book well in advance in peak seasons.
• Just a short walk or cable car ride to the Golden Summit.

Temple Lodging

• Many temples, such as Baoguo Temple, would also offer simpleand affordable accommodations.
• This choice provides a unique cultural experience with early morning chanting and vegetarian meals.
• Expect only basic facilities,and usually there’s no private bathrooms.

Know Before You Visit Mount Emei

1. The temperature on the top of the mountain is usually about 10℃ lower than that at the foot, so you’d better take warm clothes with you.
2. Some sections are very slippery after snow and rain. Please watch out while walking and bring anti-slip shoe covers.
3. Prepare some high-calorie food to replenish physical strength.
4. You can buy a bamboo pole to use as a walking stick and also scare the monkeys.

How to Plan Your Mt. Emei Tour

A 2–3 day trip is ideal to soak yourself in the blended charm of Mount Emei’s, as you can visit its sacred temples, lush forests, and panoramic summit views. Most travelers would start from Chengdu, taking a high-speed train or bus to Emei City, and before arriving at this destination, they often make a stop at the nearby Leshan Giant Buddha.

Begin your official Mount Emei journey at the foot of the mountain around Baoguo Temple, which is not only a spiritual gateway but also home to cultural relics. From here, you can take cable cars or hike your way up through key stops like Qingyin Pavilion and the Ecological Monkey Zone, it’s a way through the nature and Buddhist heritage.

Spend the second day reaching the Golden Summit, where you can finally witness the awe-inspiring sunrise, sea of clouds, and the towering golden statue of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. If you want to fully experience the mountain’s atmosphere, consider an overnight stay in a temple or hotel near Leidongping to catch the morning light without a long pre-dawn climb.

If time allows, explore the tea gardens scattered at mid-altitudes or unwind in the hot springs near Baoguo Temple. Pairing trip to Mount Emei with Leshan visit will make for a perfect short itinerary, offering experience of both natural grandeur and cultural depth in just a few days.

If you need more information about Mount Emei tours or Chengdu tours, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our professional travel consultants will help you plan a fantastic trip according to your needs.