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Emei Shan

China

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Walkopedia rating87
(Top 100)
Beauty
31
Natural interest
 15
Human interest
 14
Charisma
 32
Negative points
 (5)
Total rating
 87
Note: A tough slog up endless steps; rapid altitude gain; crowds at the top

 Vital statistics

Length:
2 days
Maximum Altitude: 3,099m
Level of Difficulty: Strenuous

Key information: Emei Shan

  • One of China's sacred mountains, and the first bastion of the mountainous Tibetan fringe. A magical, historic place of forests, cliffs and chasms dotted with temples, pagodas and other sites, where people have been walking and contemplating for more than a millennium.
  • Walk up ancient stone paths and steps, past temples and tea plantations, then through cloud and bamboo forest. Pass ancient buildings; stay in an ox-blood Buddhist monastery. Catch glimpses of mist-wreathed cliffs as you get higher.
  • At the Golden Summit, explore the temples, glimpse the vast chasm beneath the peak through swirling cloud or occasionally get a magnificent view toward the mountains and over the hazy plain of Sichuan plain.
  • You gain altitude fast, climbing endless flights of hewn steps. Pace yourself.


Walk summary

The sacred mountain of Emei Shan towers above the vast, fertile plain of Sichuan province, the first bastion of the impenetrable mountains that separate western China from Tibet. For approaching two thousand years, it has been holy to the Buddhist and Taoist religions. Most of the mountain's 150 temples, monasteries and pavilions were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, but many have been rebuilt, a number of monasteries again populated by Buddhist monks. The mountain once more draws vast numbers of visitors.

The scenery is magnificent, typical scroll painting material: sharp peaks and tremendous mist-wreathed cliffs tower above silent forests dotted with historic pavilions and monasteries although they were sadly damaged in the Cultural Revolution and have been heavily restored. Emei means eyebrows of beauty, as the poets have likened the mountain's jagged grey cliffs to a moth's eyebrows. The lower slopes are a maze of paths linking monasteries, pavilions and viewpoints. It is, with justice, a World Heritage Site. Once a deeply spiritual place, the top is now sadly crowded and tourist-tatty: the best walking is definitely below the cable car/roadhead at Jieyin Dian. Apart from some tea plantations on the lower slopes, you will tramp through the beautiful deciduous forests (with strands of delicate bamboo) of this famously diverse region.

The mountain is fabulous for people-watching never have so many ill-prepared, unsuitably shod people crowded such demanding routes.

There are two main pilgrimage routes. The most direct path follows a long steep ridge, stone steps and paving for much of the way. The longer, rougher, alternative, which is less frequented and is thought to be the better route, winds more slowly up through the foothills. The summit ridge looms above tremendous cracked grey limestone cliffs, which are often swathed in mist. Few people climb the whole way to the summit in one day, spending a night on the mountain preferably in one of the monasteries that sit strategically on the routes. The back of the mountain is relatively gentle, which is no doubt why it is deemed unsuitable for pilgrims: a track now winds up it to a cable car station.

This is a tough, steep walk. Your life will be vastly improved if you get reasonably fit beforehand (just climb a lot of stairs daily). The top (and the popular routes) can get very crowded in places at high times.

William Mackesy's account of this walk

My climb up Emei Shan, the sacred mountain in western China, in the autumn of 1991, has influenced the course of my life. Much has changed since I was there, so do not treat this account as up-to-date.

I had been living in Hong Kong for 3 years by then, and had been to China's “easier” places, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guilin. This was my first expedition into the back woods. It was not all that long since China's opening up to the world after the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution, and foreigners were still rare enough to be stared at even in the great cities. With almost no Mandarin, I was worried about being able to communicate; ever resourceful, I had concocted with my wonderful secretary a set of cards, ready to be brandished at times of distress, with requests in.....

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Practical information for walking in China, Emei Shan

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Anyone planning an expedition to this place should see further important information about this walk.

Responsible travel matters, a lot. How you travel will make a real difference - for better or worse. PLEASE consider this when making plans. Read more