Mount Emei and Leshan Giant Buddha

Location: Eimeishan City, Sichuan Province

Date of Inscription: 1996

Criteria: N (iv) C (iv) (vi)

Sixteen hundred years ago, an Indian monk came to Cinisthana, as China was called by the Indians in those days. He climbed to the top of Emei Mountain and was fascinated by the beautiful scenery. "This is the number one mountain in Cinisthana," he said.

Emei Mountain rises like a green tower on the western Chengdu Plain. Viewed from a distance, the contour of the mountain looks like a girl's face with slender eyebrows; hence the name Emei, or tall eyebrows. Emei Mountain rises and falls for more than 200 kilometers before it meets Qionglai Mountain, a part of Asia's Backbone, or the Kunlun Mountain Range. Emei Mountain consists of Da'e, Er'e, San'e, and Si'e hills. Da'e Hill is a concentration of strangely shaped peaks and places of scenic beauty and historic interest. It is the hill most visited by tourists on Emei Mountain.

Emei Mountain is one of the four famous mountains in China where Buddhist rites are performed. The other three are Wutai Mountain in Shanxi Province, Putuo Mountain in Zhejiang Province, and Jiuhua Mountain in Anhui Province. It is said that Emei Mountain is where the bodhisattva Samantabhadra, one of the two principal disciples of Sakyamuni, mystically appeared and performed Buddhist rites.

Emei Mountain abounds in fauna and flora. There are more than 500 species of plants, many more than in Europe, including over 29 varieties of azaleas as well as the Chinese dove tree, known for its ornamental value. The mountain is the habitat of more than 2,300 species of insects, birds, and wild animals, including the orange oakleaf butterfly, the lesser panda, the honey buzzard, and the silver pheasant. Monkeys often come out to play with tourists or stand by the roadside to beg for food. In 1981, an international botanical team composed of specialists from Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Japan, and five other countries explored the area and concluded that Emei Mountain is the most beautiful national park in the world, a rare treasure house of plants, and a paradise for plant lovers.

The splendid Giant Buddha Pavilion was ruined during various wars. In the several hundred years since the Ming period, the carved statue has suffered serious erosion from exposure to rain and wind. In 1962, the Chinese government earmarked funds for an all-round maintenance of the Giant Buddha. Later, the Giant Buddha was listed as a major historical relic under State protection. At present, The Giant Buddha is being maintained under the sponsorship of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee and under the guidance of experts from China and abroad.