Live Your Best Lives
Although I've never been to Jiuhua, I've had a connection here many years ago. I could say I'm here to pray for blessings, or perhaps to fulfill a vow for something I'm destined to do. Since we have a connection, let me sincerely say "Amitabha."
Jiuhua Mountain's main peak, Shiwang Peak, stands at 1,344.4 meters above sea level and is a branch of the Huangshan Mountain Range. The highest temple is Tiantai Zen Temple, which faces Shiwang Peak.
Jiuhua Mountain is a region blessed with outstanding people and abundant natural resources. Since the Tang Dynasty, numerous scholars and poets have settled here and penned brilliant poems. The renowned poet Li Bai even attended school here. Jiuhua Mountain is also one of my country's four famous Buddhist mountains and is the sanctuary of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
Day 1: Drive to Jiuhua Mountain, visit Huacheng Temple and Taibai Academy in the morning, take the cable car to Tiantai Scenic Area in the afternoon, visit Tiantai Temple, and stroll around Jiuhua Old Street in the evening.
Day 2: Take a cable car up to Baisui Palace and visit the Baisui Palace, the Hall of Five Hundred Arhats, and the Dongya Zen Temple. In the afternoon, drive to the village of Lingyang Town in the back mountain and stay at Jiuhuashan Chuxin Sanshe - Dayin Xisheng B&B to experience a true pastoral life.
Whether you drive by yourself or take a scenic bus into Jiuhua Mountain Scenic Area, your first stop is usually Huacheng Temple, also known as Ksitigarbha Temple, the founding temple of Ksitigarbha Daochang.
Its name dates back to the Tang Dynasty, when it was originally called "Huacheng." The well-preserved Huacheng Temple today features four palaces, all built in the style of southern Anhui residences. The crescent-shaped pond at the entrance is also known as the "Release Pond." It's also worth mentioning that this was the filming location for the scene in the 1986 version of Journey to the West where the uprising at Little Leiyin Temple took place.
The square and the free-animal pond in front of Huacheng Temple are must-sees for those visiting Jiuhua Mountain to pray for blessings. The two stone lions in front of the gate have been preserved since the Ming Dynasty. On weekdays, flocks of pigeons fly freely here, and tourists occasionally scatter food for the pigeons in the square. The four palaces of Huacheng Temple are located on three platforms, rising in tiers.
The square and the free-animal pond in front of Huacheng Temple are must-sees for those visiting Jiuhua Mountain to pray for blessings. The two stone lions in front of the gate have been preserved since the Ming Dynasty. On weekdays, flocks of pigeons fly freely here, and tourists occasionally scatter food for the pigeons in the square. The four palaces of Huacheng Temple are located on three platforms, rising in tiers.
There's a saying at Huacheng Temple: "Enter and worship Maitreya, and exit and worship Skanda." Huacheng Temple houses and displays over 1,800 cultural relics, including the "Avatamsaka Sutra," which took 28 years to complete, fulfilling the wish of Zen Master Wu Sui at the age of 100, and the imperial calligraphy of Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. The above picture shows a Qing Dynasty stone incense burner with the character for "longevity" carved into it.
The Baisui Palace bowl is said to have been obtained by a Ming Dynasty monk who collected alms in Jingdezhen. The bowls were inscribed with the words "Jiuhua Mountain Baisui Palace" from a kiln. Therefore, they are regarded as auspicious objects of Buddhism by later generations.
There are 99 peaks surrounding Huacheng Temple. Most of the gates of the temples on the peaks face the direction of Huacheng Temple, which also shows the importance of Huacheng Temple.
According to legend, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was in Jiuhua Mountain and chanted scriptures on the rooftop every morning, leaving footprints on the ground. Later, believers embroidered monk hats and shoes with tiger heads and tiger stripes based on the records of Jiuhua Mountain and the description of Ksitigarbha, and enshrined them in Huacheng Temple.
If you wish to enter the Main Hall of Huacheng Temple to pray, remember to enter from the left and exit from the right, avoiding the center door. The four-story hall ascends the stairs. The first is the Hall of the Spiritual Official, the second is the Hall of Heavenly Kings, and the third is the Main Hall. Notably, the Main Hall boasts three large and small caissons, built in 1889 during the 15th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty. The octagonal section of the large caisson is decorated with eight flying dragons, and a dragon and a ball adorning the ceiling create the "Nine Dragons Playing with a Ball" design, which remains well-preserved. The fourth hall houses the three-story Sutra Library, built during the Ming Dynasty. It houses a collection of precious scriptures and imperial edicts.
Just a few minutes' walk from Huacheng Temple leads to Jiuhua Old Street. Nestled alongside the street is Taibai Academy, where Li Bai lived in seclusion in 755 AD. Later, in the early Jiaxi reign of the Southern Song Dynasty (circa 1237 AD), Qingyang County Magistrate Cai Yuanlong renovated the academy to commemorate Li Bai's second visit to Jiuhua. Li Bai left many famous poems here, the most familiar of which is "Wonderful existence of two energies, sacred mountain opens Jiuhua."
Walking into the study hall built a hundred years ago, you will feel the poetic and picturesque atmosphere of literati. The backyard of the study hall has now been transformed into a garden teahouse. It is really pleasant to sit here to enjoy the cool air, drink tea, and feel the fairy days that the immortal poet experienced here.
The courtyard's two ancient ginkgo trees, reportedly over 1,200 years old, are said to have been planted by Li Bai during his seclusion. Next to the trees is the Taibai Well, where Li Bai once drew water for his tea. Later, during the Song Dynasty, it was converted into a square well. The water from this well remains exceptionally clear.
After visiting Huacheng Temple and Taibai Academy in the morning, you can take a short break and have lunch in the old street, then go to the lower cable car of Tiantai Scenic Area and take the cable car to Tiantai (this section of the mountain will take more than two hours). The cable car takes about ten minutes to reach the top of the mountain at an altitude of more than 1,000 meters. Then you can walk for seven or eight minutes to see the ancient scripture platform in the distance.
After descending the cable car and walking along the steps for less than ten minutes, you'll be able to see Guanyin Peak and the Ancient Sutra Platform in the distance. Jiuhua Mountain is truly associated with the number "nine." First, there are ninety-nine peaks. The Golden Ksitigarbha lived to be ninety-nine, and the current bronze statue of the Golden Ksitigarbha stands 99 meters tall. This morning at Huacheng Temple, I heard a lecture explaining that some of the surrounding temples are not oriented north-south, but rather have their doors facing the temple.
Mount Jiuhua boasts a dazzling array of peaks, often called the Ninety-Nine Peaks, including over 30 peaks over a thousand meters tall. During the Tianbao period of the Tang Dynasty, the great poet Li Bai ascended from Jinling to Qiupu and renamed Jiuzi Mountain Jiuhua. Records indicate that Jin Qiaojue visited Mount Jiuhua during the heyday of the Tang Dynasty. While retreating into the mountains, he discovered the towering peaks stretching for thousands of miles. He began cultivating there, thus beginning the story of one mountain, one monk, who later became known as Jin Dizang.
If you walk in the old streets or surrounding villages, you can hear many legends about Golden Ksitigarbha and the story of Golden Ksitigarbha's mount, Di Ting, from the local older generation of villagers.
Legend has it that Jin Dizang was meditating on a rock at Dongya Zen Temple when he was accidentally stung by a poisonous insect. However, his resolve remained steadfast and he remained seated. A short while later, a beautiful young woman arrived and apologized, saying, "I'm sorry, my son hurt you. To express my apology, I offer you a stream of sweet water." Immediately, a stream of sweet water, then known as Wuxi Water, flowed from the rock. This woman is known in local legend as the deity of Mount Jiuhua. There are many more stories like this.
Until 794, when Jin Dizang was 99 years old, one day a rock rolled down. Jin Dizang gathered all his disciples and said that he was leaving. Then Jin Dizang sat in meditation and passed away.
To this day, the body of Jin Dizang is still preserved in the underground palace of the Moon Body Hall on Mount Jiuhua. Jin Dizang crossed the sea to come here at the age of 24 and practiced in Mount Jiuhua for 75 years. His dedicated practice here made Mount Jiuhua famous far and wide, and it also became one of the four famous Buddhist mountains in my country.
The ancient prayer platform houses the large footprints of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. In the past, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva stopped here to recite the Avatamsaka Sutra and practiced meditation with great diligence, leaving his footprints embedded in the stone wall.
Tiantai Temple, the highest temple in Jiuhua Mountain, and Shiwang Peak, the highest peak, face each other, both with an altitude of over 1,300 meters.
Tiantai Temple lies in the depression between Tiantai Peak and Yuping Peak. Although Shiwang Peak, with an altitude of 1,344.4 meters, is the highest peak in Jiuhua Mountain, there is no temple on Shiwang Peak. Tiantai Temple on Taitai, with an altitude of 1,306 meters, is the highest temple in Jiuhua. Therefore, people sometimes call Tiantai Peak, where Tiantai Temple is located, the main peak of Jiuhua Mountain.
Watching the sunrise and the sea of clouds here is incredibly magnificent and spectacular. The "Tiantai Dawn" scene is one of the "Ten Scenic Spots of Jiuhua".
Throughout history, scholars and literati have praised Jiuhua Mountain in poetry and prose, leaving behind hundreds of cliff carvings. For example, this inscription on the Qinglong Rock on Tiantai Mountain reads, "How high is Jiuhua, so high it touches the heavens. Coming here, my eyes are refreshed and my heart is broadened." Each character is 78 centimeters long and 57 centimeters wide. There are many more cliff carvings like this.
On the way down the mountain from Tiantai Temple to the cable car, which takes about half an hour, you'll find many unique rock formations among the forest, such as the Dapeng Listening to Sutra Stone and the Golden Turtle Facing the Big Dipper. Locals also say that the Jiuhuashan Temple Fair, held annually on the 30th day of the seventh lunar month, is also very lively. Also known as the Ksitigarbha Temple Fair, it's a large-scale folk pilgrimage festival commemorating the birthday of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
A five-minute cable car ride takes you to the mountainside where the Baisui Palace is located. There's a folk saying, "If you don't visit the Baisui Palace, your trip is in vain. Once there, everything will be a success." Baisui Palace, originally built during the Ming Dynasty, is located atop Motianling, Chaxiao Peak, on Jiuhua Mountain. Originally named Zhaixing Temple, it implies reaching for the stars. Later, during the Ming Dynasty, it was renamed Baisui Palace, honoring the centenarian monk Wuxia, who passed away at the age of 126.
The plaque in front of the gate of the Centenary Palace reads "The Centenary Palace granted by the Huguo Wannian Temple". The main hall is divided into two entrances. The first entrance is the Main Hall, and the second entrance is the hall where the body of Zen Master Wuxia is enshrined.
The Hall of Five Hundred Arhats is just over 100 meters away from the Centennial Palace, at a slightly higher elevation. The first floor of the Hall of Five Hundred Arhats houses the Great Vow of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, while the second floor houses the Five Hundred Arhats. The Five Hundred Arhats represent the inheritance and development of Buddhism, and are also direct disciples of the Buddha.
As a representative of Anhui cuisine in southern Anhui, stinky mandarin fish needs no further explanation. People who like it will love it very much. The meat is white and tender with a salty and fresh taste. Stinky mandarin fish is the Nanbowan of Anhui cuisine in my mind.
Scrambled eggs with stone ear is the most common and homely farm dish in Jiuhua Mountain. The stone ear has a light fragrance and tastes very delicious when fried with golden local eggs.
Jiuhua Fried Polygonatum is also a very distinctive local dish. Polygonatum is a local treasure and a specialty of the Jiuhua Mountain area. Although it has no taste, it is very nutritious and good for health.
Stone ear mushrooms, a local delicacy from Jiuhua Mountain, are rich in amino acids and nutrients. Slow-cooked with local chicken, the broth is rich and flavorful, and the chicken is firm and flavorful. It can also be paired with the famous local fried rice, adding flavor to the broth.
Lingyang Yipin Pot, this local dish originated from the surrounding Lingyang. It uses dried beans, dried bamboo shoots, day lily, and sweet potato flour as the base, and is topped with pork belly and meatballs. The flavors of various ingredients blend together, the taste is rich, and it is also very delicious.
Lotus stems are also a specialty of Jiuhua area. They are much smaller and thinner than the lotus roots we usually see, but they are very crisp and tender.
In addition, small river shrimp, dried bamboo shoots, and bracken are also some of the more distinctive foods in the Jiuhua Mountain area. The preparation methods are relatively simple. Whether it is river seafood or mountain delicacies, the taste and nutrition of the ingredients themselves are retained to the greatest extent. Basically every restaurant offers these local classic farm dishes. If you have the opportunity to visit Jiuhua Mountain, don’t miss these delicacies.
When it comes to breakfast, Jiuhua Mountain area has its own unique features, such as big meat noodles, noodles with toppings, etc., as well as the famous pot sticker dumplings, which are all worth trying.
Although the driving road from Jiuhua Mountain is winding and the journey of more than 50 kilometers was a bit daunting at first, we really discovered after arriving that, just as the B&B said, it is a secret place worth crossing mountains and ridges. I found this Chuxin Sanshe and I love it.
