UNESCO World Heritage SiteNational 5A Scenic AreaSouthwest China
Mount Emei (Emeishan)
峨眉山 · Sichuan, Leshan
China's tallest Buddhist sacred mountain, of misty forests, temples and the 'Golden Summit' above the clouds.
Mount Emei is the highest of China's Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains, rising to 3,099 metres through subtropical forest, waterfalls and dozens of temples to the Golden Summit (Jinding), where a ten-sided Samantabhadra bronze statue stands above a famous sea of clouds. The mountain is also a biodiversity hotspot teeming with monkeys.
Emei became a sacred site of Samantabhadra (Puxian) Buddhism from the 1st century AD and one of China's earliest Buddhist mountain centres, with temples built over two millennia. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996 as a mixed cultural and natural site of outstanding scenery, temples and ecosystems.
Day-by-day routes you won't find online — now starting with an 8-day, 1,500 km loop through western Sichuan. New regions are added regularly; tell us where you want to drive next.
