National 5A Scenic AreaEast China
Mount Putuo (Putuoshan)
普陀山 · Zhejiang, Zhoushan
A sacred Buddhist island in the Zhoushan archipelago, dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin.
Mount Putuo is a small, green island in the Zhoushan archipelago and one of China's Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains, revered as the home of Guanyin (Avalokiteshvara), the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Pilgrims visit its temples, pagodas and seaside cliffs, where the sound of waves is said to be the goddess's chanting.
Buddhism took root on the island in the Tang dynasty (9th century) as Guanyin devotion spread from Mount Wutai; by the Song dynasty it was a major pilgrimage centre with hundreds of monasteries. Though not a UNESCO site, it is one of China's most important living Buddhist pilgrimage destinations and a national 5A scenic area.
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.
