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Jiuhua Mountain

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Jiuhua Shan ("Nine Glorious Mountains") - or Mount Jiuhua, in Anglo-Saxon parlance - located in Qingyang County in the south of Anhui Province, is one of the four mountains of China sacred to Buddhism. Mount Jiuhua, wedged in between the mighty Yangtze River to the north and Huangshan/ Mount Huang to the south (" Yellow Mountain ", a mountain famous in its own right, and one of China's premier tea-growing regions - the most famous Yellow Mountain tea variety being Mao feng), is famous for its picturesque landscapes and its ancient Buddhist temples.

Jiuhua Shan is said to have gotten its name from a compliment paid to it by the famous Tang (CE 618-907) Dynasty poet, Li Bai (aka Li Po), who is credited with having said the following while visiting the mountain, which had had a number of prior names, including Lingyang Shan during the Han (BCE 206 - CE 220) Dynasty and Jiuzi ("Nine Peak") Shan during the Liang (CE 502-556) and the Chen (CE 557-588) Dynasties of the Southern (CE 420-588) Dynasties period: "Magic is divided into two branches; sacred mountain [read: Jiuhua Shan] generates nine glories" (which leaves a modern person wondering exactly what is meant by "two branches" of magic... oh, well!).

Covering an area of some 120 square kilometers, Mount Jiuhua was home to perhaps a hundred Buddhist temples, though only 78 still survive today. According to an old Chinese saying - which only emphasizes that exaggeration helps to make the point - "Scattered in the clouds and mists of Mount Jiuhua are a thousand temples." It is no wonder, given such an atmosphere, both literally and figuratively, that Mount Jinhua would become the perfect refuge for reclusive monks who desired a place far away from the beaten path in which to meditate and practice their simple and humble way of life. The most famous monk to arrive on Mount Jiuhua was a Korean monk by the name of Kim Gio Ga, whom people said resembled the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva so much that the monk was believed to be a reincarnation of the beloved Bodhisattva, whose mission was to deliver people from the torments of hell on earth, or the condition of being trapped in continued reincarnations, never achieving nirvana. The large number of Buddhist temples on Mount Jiuhua is said to be directly attributable to the popularity of Kim Gio Ga.

There are 99 peaks on Jinhua Shan, over 30 of which exceed a height of 1000 meters above sea level, with Shiwang Peak, at 1342 meters, being the highest. Jiuhua Shan is a picturesque mountain range 'covered in pine trees and fog', and with barren rock outcroppings here and there which only accentuate the the mountain range's verdure. With its many peaks that form connecting ridges, its verdure, its odd rock formations, frothy waterfalls and clear mountain streams, not to speak of its enormous expanse (it houses eighteen special scenic sites) and its many Buddhist temples, Jiuhua Shan is a popular tourist venue that attracts visitors of all kinds, including an increasing number of foreign tourists who are either intrigued by the mountain's role as a Buddhist holy site or are drawn to the mountain thanks to its many diverse and beautiful landscapes.

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By Rail/Bus: The nearest railway station to Mount Jiuhua is Tongling Railway Station, some 90 kilometers from the mountain, or about a 2-hour ride by regional bus. The city of Tongling, in turn, can be reached by three different inter-regional trains. These are: the Shanghai-Tongling train, the Nanjing-Tongling train, and the Hangzhou-Tongling train. Since the journey times vary depending on which city one departs from, and also on whether it is an express or a regular train, it is best to check with the three respective train stations regarding their service to Tongling - also located in Anhui Province, on the Yangtze River, due north of Mount Jiuhua and the village of Jiuhuajie (Huangshan/ Yellow Mountain - for those who may be interested in combining a visit to Yellow Mountain with a visit to Mount Jiuhua - lies about 2 hours due south of Jiuhuajie).

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