Broadcasting Time: 2006-11-24



Wu Jia: Hello, and welcome to the Sichuan general knowledge contest about the home of the giant panda. I'm Wu Jia. Today, on the third leg of our trip to Sichuan, we'll experience rich Buddhist culture at Mt. Emei and Leshan. As always, we'll have two questions for you to answer to qualify for the prize of a trip to this fascinating province.

Question number one is: Is Mt. Emei one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains of China?
Question number two: how high is the Leshan Giant Buddha, the largest Buddha in the world?

The Emei Mountain rises like a green tower on the Western Chengdu Plain. Of all the tourist attractions in China, Mt. Emei is the highest. The highest peak, Wanfoding, or the Summit of Ten Thousand Buddhas, rises more than 3,000 meters above sea level. It has been suggested that Mt. Emei, or Emeishan gets its name from the two peaks that face each other and look like a pair of eyebrows. That is the explanation of the name Emei, or a young lady's eyebrows.

The craggy southern side of Emeishan is crisscrossed by ravines and covered by a dense growth of plants. The northern side features steep precipices and waterfalls cascading down mountain slopes.

The mountain is warm and humid with abundant mist and rain. In spring and summer, flowers blossom luxuriantly among a verdant growth of mountain plants.

Mt. Emei is famed as the number one mountain in China. Legend has it that sixteen hundred years ago, an Indian monk ventured along what is known as the "southern Silk Road" into China, or Cinisthana, as it was called then. When he climbed to the top of Mt. Emei, he was fascinated by the beautiful scenery and said, "This is the number one mountain in Cinisthana." Ever since, Mt. Emei has become one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains in China.

The first Buddhist temple in China was built here in the 1st century AD in the beautiful surroundings of the summit of Emei. The addition of other temples turned the site into one of Buddhism's holiest sites. Mt. Emei is dedicated to the Bodhisattva Puxian, also known as Samantabhdra, the right-hand attendant of Sakyamuni.

At the summit of the Emei Mountain is the monastery known as the Golden Summit. At the Golden Summit, the climber will find a temple built of glazed tiles with white marble balustrades. Also in this temple is a 48-meter-tall statue of Samantabhdra riding a white elephant with six tusks that was cast in 980 AD. Our tour guide Yang Tao explains more about the statue.

"Bodhisattva Puxian looks very solemn, holding a golden wish-fulfilling gem in his hand and wearing a golden crown. This is the one and only 10-faced statue of Bodhisattva Puxian in China. You can see the Bodhisattva's face from any angle, receiving good luck and protection endowed by the Bodhisattva."

Lee Geun Won, a faithful Buddhist believer, came all the way from South Korea to worship Bodhisattva Puxian here at Mt. Emei.

"Seeing such a great statue of Bodhisattva Puxian, I feel from the bottom of my heart that China is such a great nation. I bowed 10 times to the 10 faces of the Bodhisattva and three times in the grand hall. I also donated some money to the temple. Though it's not much, it conveys my sincerity."

It takes an average walker one day to climb to the Golden Summit temple along the prepared path and the same time to descend. The walker experiences all four seasons while traveling along this path.

Besides being a sacred place for Buddhist worship, the Golden Summit is also an ideal place to view the sunrise and the sea of clouds. If you are lucky enough, you will be able to see the Buddha Halo at the Golden Summit. The spectacular view tops the list of the 10 principal scenic attractions of Mt. Emei. Buddhist followers say it is the light from Buddha's forehead, but others say it is a physical phenomenon. Before sunset after a rain or snowfall, the sunlight penetrates the mist and clouds and forms a circle of seven colors by refraction through the tiny water drops in the mist. One may feel as though caught in the circle, which seems to move in synchronization with one's own movements, much like one's shadow. Buddhists consider it good fortune to visit Mt. Emei and see Buddha's Halo.

Mt. Emei is considered to have exceptional cultural significance. It is the place where Buddhism first became established on Chinese territory and from where it spread widely throughout the east. This human element has been integrated into the natural environment of the area, which boasts high plant species diversity with a large number of endemic species. For reasons like these, Mt. Emei Scenic Area was inscribed onto the World Heritage List in 1996. This inscription also includes the Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area, 30 kilometers west of Mt. Emei.

The Giant Buddha of Leshan is the largest Buddha in the world, measuring 71 meters tall. Our tour guide Wu Liping says the Buddha was carved out of a hillside during the Tang Dynasty in the eighth century.

"A monk named Haitong found boating accidents were frequent in the Leshan area, the confluence of three rivers. So he decided to safeguard passing boats by creating a massive protective figure of Buddha Maitreya in the cliffs."

Designers were practical enough to realize the resulting rubble would fill in shoals on the uneven river bed, hence reducing boating accidents. Funds were raised by public subscriptions and regional government contributions. It took the builders 90 years to complete the gigantic project. The giant Buddha has since attracted numerous pilgrims. Norbu Rinpoche is a living Buddha from western China's Qinghai province.

"For all Buddhist believers like us, to be able to come here and worship the time-honored, amiable and magnificent Buddha statue makes one feel peaceful and quiet inside. I also feel much enlightened."

That's our trip to Mt. Emei and the Leshan Giant Buddha. Now again it's question time. Question number one: Is Mt. Emei one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains of China? Question two: how high is the Leshan Giant Buddha, the largest Buddha in the world?

If you've listened to our program and know the answers to both of these questions, we invite you to send them in to the CRI general knowledge contest on Sichuan province sponsored by the Sichuan Provincial Tourism Administration. You can email us at crieng@crifm.com or yinglian@cri.com.cn, or log on to our website at www.crienglish.com. Good luck and see you next time!