Mount Emei, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sichuan province, is a sacred Buddhist mountain known for its stunning landscapes, cultural significance, and unique biodiversity.
Getting There
By Air: Fly to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, then take a train or bus to Emeishan City.
By Train: High-speed trains connect Chengdu to Emeishan Railway Station in about 1.5 hours.
By Bus: Regular buses run from Chengdu's Xinnanmen Bus Station to Emeishan Scenic Area.
Main Attractions
Baoguo Temple
Located at the foot of the mountain, Baoguo Temple is the starting point for many visitors. The temple houses cultural relics and offers insights into Buddhist traditions.
Wannian Temple
One of the oldest temples on Mount Emei, known for its large bronze statue of Samantabhadra (Bodhisattva of Universal Benevolence).
Golden Summit (Jinding)
The peak of Mount Emei, offering breathtaking views, especially during sunrise. The massive golden statue of Samantabhadra is a highlight.
Monkey Zone
A famous area where visitors can observe wild Tibetan macaques. Exercise caution as the monkeys can be mischievous.
Qingyin Pavilion
A peaceful spot surrounded by lush greenery and flowing streams, perfect for a quiet rest during your climb.
Activities
Hiking: Explore scenic trails ranging from gentle walks to challenging climbs.
Buddhist Pilgrimage: Visit ancient temples and participate in ceremonies.
Photography: Capture stunning vistas, unique flora, and cultural landmarks.
Practical Tips
Weather: Bring layers as temperatures vary with altitude. Rain gear is essential due to frequent rain showers.
Footwear: Wear comfortable hiking shoes for the uneven terrain.
Altitude: Golden Summit is over 3,000 meters high. Take it slow to adjust to the altitude.
Wildlife: Keep your belongings secure and avoid feeding the monkeys.
Food: Try local Sichuan dishes at eateries along the route.
A great film of the Great Wall north of Beijing, including 'wild wall', accompanied by great music (踏古 (Ta Gu) by Lin Hai, 'Walking into Ancientry', with Chinese lute (pipa)).
We [mum, dad - videographer - and son and daughter, from Singapore] hiked 3 sections of the Great Wall in winter, without any guides after studying blogs and posts by fellow hikers.
All these sections are different. From the unrestored GuBeiKou Great Wall where we were the only people around, to the wonderful JinShanLing, where the climb is steep and every direction gives you good photo opportunities, to the restored MuTianYu where we hiked in heavy snowfall.
We stayed at local farmhouses on both nights, dined with the locals and hitched rides to nearby bath-houses. Temperature ranged from -5 deg C (day) to -12 deg C (night). Winter daybreak is at 7am and the sky becomes dark by 5pm so one has only 10 hours of daylight, so plan your travelling and hiking schedules carefully.
This once-in-a-lifetime experience was captured on video and we would like to share it with you. The feelings just can't be described - you need to experience it first hand.
Take only memories, leave only footprints and kindness ...
As the mini ice-age begins to engage (and the 'global warming' hoax lies in tatters) - a reprieve of our much-loved 'Winter in China' mix; with great music, including ColdPlay and much more ...
HuaShan, in ShaanXi province, is one of China's Five Sacred Mountains.
Our second film shows the 'Plank Walk'. This was constructed in the 13th century by Taoist monks.
JǐuHuá Shān, 'Nine Glorious Mountains', is one of the four sacred mountains of Chinese Buddhism. Located in AnHui province, it is famous for its rich landscape and ancient temples.
A beautiful film ...
Runs from January 5th to the end of February each year.The artistic side of this cultural tradition derives from the making of wind-proof shells for candle-based lanterns using hollowed-out ice blocks.
Mount SiGuNiang, in SiChuan province, is famous for its beautiful scenery.
The surrounding area is reputed to be the "Oriental Alps". Mount SiGuNiang National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park comprises Mount SiGuNiang and the surrounding three valleys, namely ChangPing Valley (长坪沟), HaiZi Valley (海子沟) and ShuangQiao Valley (双桥沟), covering an area of 2,000 square kilometers.
Mount Siguniang
Tropical Hainan Island to Harbin in China's north east
The Harbin Snow and Ice Festival (every January)
Beijing - the Forbidden City
ZhangJiaJie
HuangShan
Snowboarding at NanShan, Beijing
'My Shangri-la - a trip through Yunnan province
'One can never forget LiJiang' - Yunnan province
'Beautiful snow county is my home' - HeiLongJiang province
Harbin is the provincial capital of HeiLongJiang.
"Every year one of China's most remarkable events takes place in the city of Harbin half way between the North Pole and equator. For five months of the year the mercury rarely hovers above zero. But if you live in Harbin you've got to love winter. The Harbin Ice and Snow Festival features three of the world's most astonishing attractions - Zhaolin Park the home of ice art, Sun Island the home of the snow expo and Ice and Snow World the biggest winter theme park on the planet. Get an inside look as Harbin's army of workers build a theme park bigger than Disneyland and follow some of the world's best ice and snow carvers in their gruelling quest for gold.
This is the opening title sequence from Inside Ice Vegas, produced by Natural History New Zealand Limited and China International Communications Centre for National Geographic Channel."
Here we are in July 2011, mid-summer and temperatures sometimes over 100F!
So here is a cool down - snow and ice fun from winter 2010 / 2011.
Including skiing at WanLong BaYi Ski Resort (first film) and ice skating at ZhiZhuYuan Park (Purple / Black Bamboo Park, near Beijing Zoo) (second film).
Filmed in January 2011 ...
A UNESCO World Heritage Site.
HuangLong Scenic Area lies in SiChuan province, about 150km north west from the provincial capital ChengDu. It is famed for its colorful pools formed by mineral deposits, and there are also rich forests full of wildlife, including the Giant Panda, snow-capped peaks, waterfalls and hot springs.
Filmed in February 2010.
The peak of the mountain range is 5,600 meters. The view of the mountains from the gardens at the Black Dragon Pool (HeiLong Tan) in LiJiang is regarded as one of China's finest. On the far side of the mountains lies Tiger Leaping Gorge (HuTiao Xia).
LiJiang is a city with nearly 1.5 million inhabitants, yet LiJiang Old Town has the architecture and atmosphere of times past; indeed, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Old Town, with its waterways and ornamental bridges, dates back over 800 years.
Harbin is the capital of HeiLongJiang province in north east China.
Harbin is quite a large city with a population of around 10 million and is well served by both train and plane. It has some Russian influences in terms of architecture; it has been called the Oriental St. Petersburg. It is a candidate for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Harbin has a wide seasonal temperature variation: from an average minus 18C in January to plus 23C in July.
The Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival runs every year during January and the beginning of February.
The YaBuLi International Ski Resort, the biggest and perhaps best ski resort in China, lies 180 kilometers (110 miles) south east of Harbin. Because of its high elevation (1,000 - 1300 meters, 3,300 - 4500 feet), snow falls for a long period of around 170 days. The period from November to late March is the skiing season here. The resort has high quality snow and has hosted the Winter Asian Games and the 2009 Universiade. It is open all year round with activities such as tennis, hot-air ballooning and paragliding.
An amazing place!
However, be warned that with temperatures around -20C in January (daytime), you will need to wrap up very well indeed. It is open annually from approximately 5th January - 5th February; often longer, depending on the weather.
