5 Days Buddhism Tour to Mount Putuo & Mount Jiuhua from Shanghai
In-depth Buddhism Inspiration
Buddhism is one of the most important and primitive heritage in the world. It has been thrived in China since the first century CE. During its development in China, there has been many sacred sites established including Mount Putuo and Mount Jiuhua which are two of the Four Holiest Buddhist Mountains in China. Scores of Buddhist pilgrims come to worship Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, in Mount Putuo and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in Mount Jiuhua. These two holy mountains are both conveniently located close to Shanghai, which makes it possible for pilgrims to worship both two mountains in a short trip.
Our Mount Putuo & Mount Jiuhua Buddhism tour are specially designed for Buddhists who want a worry-free, classic and rewarding Buddhist pilgrimage with a finely crafted itinerary that incorporates all the imperative temples, heritages, halls and other sacred sites in the reasonable and affordable way. You can also design your own pilgrimage journey according to your preferences, needs and time-availability. Tailor-made Buddhist tours to other famous Buddhist sites, such as Mount Emei, Mount Wutai, Shaolin Temple, etc. are also available.
Highlights of this tour
- Spend two classic days worshiping Buddha and Avalokitesvara in the most primitive temples of Mount Putuo, also enjoy magnificent coastal landscape;
- Worship Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva for 2 meaningful days in Mount Jiuhua in the ancient, beautiful and holy temples, gardens, halls, also worship Kim Qiaojue who is believed as the reincarnation of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva;
- Use Shanghai, which has frequent arrivals and departures of international flights, as your gateway to Mount Putuo and Mount Jiuhua;
- Private and knowledgeable tour guide accompany you throughout the tour; Hotels, transfers, meals, tickets are fully included.
Basic Trip Information
- Price:
- from
Request
- 1. This price is for one person, based on a group of 2 adults sharing one double-bed room in 4-star hotel and traveling in low seasons;
- 2. This price is subject to change according to your traveling season, group size, hotel class, change of activities and possible fluctuation of currency exchange rate.
- Travel Route:
- Shanghai / Mount Putuo / Mount Jiuhua
- Travel Length:
- 5 Days & 4 Nights
- Tour Code:
- CD-PTJHBT-05
- Group Size:
- You, your family, friends or group
- Experience:
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- Departure:
- Any day you want
Full Itinerary Day by day
- Day 1 Shanghai Arrival
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Ni Hao! Welcome to Shanghai, the biggest metropolis of China! Upon arrival at Shanghai, you will be greeted in the arrival hall of Shanghai airport/train station by our tour guide who is holding a sign with your name, then be transferred to your hotel in downtown. The rest time is free for you to relax.
- Day 2 Shanghai - Putuoshan (B, L)
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In the early morning to today, be picked up at your hotel lobby, and you'll set off on the trip to Putuoshan which is about 3.5 hours' driving away from Shanghai downtown. After arrival at Zhu Sha Jian of Zhoushan City, embark a ferry to Putuoshan, which will take about 15 minutes to get to Putuoshan Dock. Disembark the ferry to check in your hotel.
Start your visit with a short walk from the dock to Puji Temple. Built in 916, this magnificent temple is the oldest as well as the largest temple on Putuoshan Mountain. Every big Buddhist event or ceremony is usually held in the temple. In front of the temple is a beautiful pond for lotus. The Duobao Pagoda near the Puji Temple, built to store Buddhist sculptures, is one of the "Three Great Precious of Putuoshan", and still remain the original face as in Yuan Dynasty(1271~1368).
Then take a park bus to One Thousand-Step Beach on the eastern side of Putuoshan Island. Walk leisurely on this over 2000-meter long white beach, let the waves pleases your mood and enjoy the clean sky and sea sceneries. Next, transfer by park bus to next attraction - Unwilling to Leave Temple. In the year 858, the Japanese Buddhist Hui'e received a precious statue of Avalokitesvara. While on his way back to Japan, he was detained by a storm, which was seen by Hui'e as a sign that the Avalokitesvara was unwilling to leave. Then Hui'e decided to leave the statue on the Putuoshan, and built a temple to place the statue which was named Unwilling to Leave Temple. Near the temple locates the famous Purple Bamboo Forest which is believed as the original ashram of Avalokitesvara (the Goddess of Mercy). Walk several minutes down the bamboo forest, you will reach the landmark site of Putuoshan - the Goddess of Mercy Statue which is 33 meters tall and make of copper.
Lastly, get back to your hotel. The rest time of today is free for you to have dinner and walk around.
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- Day 3 Putuoshan - Shanghai ( B,L )
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After breakfast, take a park bus to Fayu Temple, 2.8km from Puji Temple. The Nine-dragon Caisson on the ceiling of the Nine Dragons Hall, together with some glazed tiles used on the temple, was relocated from the imperial palaces of Ming Empire in Nanjing in Qing Dynasty(1636~1912). There is also a Nine-dragon Screen which is aged, giant and tall but can see any crevice though it was jointed by flagstones. Apart from the grandiose halls, the temple is also full of huge, rare and old trees scattering in the yards or along the yellow-walled paths, which make it easy for people to find the peace in mind.
After visiting Fayu Temple, you will hike about 1.5 hours, with 2088 stone steps, up to Huiji Temple on the top of Buddha Peak Mountain. If you want to save your energy and time, continue your park bus transfer to Haicheng Temple to take the fast cableway which will takes only several minutes to the Huiji Temple. The temple is covered by colorful glazed tiles. Its halls and yards were constructed in traditional Garden-Architecture Style in Zhejiang and Jiangsu. Not so far away from the temple is the Sky Lamp Stage where you can get clear panoramic views of Putuoshan, white beaches and blue seas in the far distance. (Note: the cableway charges ￥70 for a round trip, and ￥40 for a single trip, which is on your personal expense)
Walk or take the cableway down the Huiji Temple, and take park bus to the dock to catch a ferry to Zhu Jia Jian, then drive back to Shanghai.
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- Day 4 Shanghai - Mount Jiuhua (B, L)
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After breakfast, take an early high speed train to Chizhou in Anhui Province, a small city where the holy Buddhist mountain - Mount Jiuhua locates. Upon arrival at Chizhou, be met by the local guide and driver at the railway station and be driven directly to Mount Jiuhua directly.
First, you will take a tourist bus to witness the 99-meter Golden Statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, a new pilgrimage landmark of Mount Jiuhua and the tallest outdoor bronze Buddhist statue in the world. Beyond the spacious square, archways, bridges, clear ponds, the most impressive sight is the giant Buddhist statue standing before layered majestic green mountains.
Then transfer to Jiuhua Street, the core scenic area where most Buddhist temples locate. Take a cable car up to Longevity Palace, a Ming Dynasty (1368~1644) five-storey ancient Buddhist temple on a hilltop (elevation: 871m), which is most famed for consecrating the intact saint corporeal body of monk Haiyu who once spent over 20 years copying the Avatamsaka Sutra with his blood of tongue and gold powder here. Another must-see is the 500 life-like statues of Arhats in different gestures and looks in the Hall of Five Hundred Arhats, a unique sight that can only be seen in Mount Jiuhua. Then walk to the observation deck to view the undulating mountains of Flower Terrace Scenic Area perfectly forming a splendid view of a natural sleeping Buddha.
Later, take a cable car down to Jiuhua Street and continue to visit Huacheng Temple, the first and leading temple of Mount Jiuhua. The temple was built in Eastern Jin Dynasty more than 1,600 years ago and most existing buildings are from Qing Dynasty. Now the temple has been changed to the Jiuhuashan Museum of Historical Relics, exhibiting thousands of cultural treasures, like Buddhist sutras, ritual instruments, imperial decree, jade seal, ancient paintings and calligraphy.
Next, visit Incarnation Grand Hall where enshrines the flesh body of monk Kim Qiaojue who came to Mount Jiuhua to practice Buddhism. After 75-year assiduous practice with devout conviction, he died at the age of 99 in Mount Jiuhua in 794 AD. His remain keeps intact and unrotten after three years of his death, and he was very similar in appearance to Dizang Buddhisattva. Thus, he was sanctified as the sacred reincarnation of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva by followers. Afterwards, get to Zhiyuan Temple, the largest Buddhist temple and the only palatial temple on Mount Jiuhua. Beyond the most complete architectures, the temple preserves the precious Tripitaka, the only official Tripitaka of Qing Dynasty, over 100 Buddha sculptures and huge cooper pots.
Stay overnight in Jiuhua Street on Mount Jiuhua.
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- Day 5/span> Mount Jiuhua Tour & Departure (B, L)
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After breakfast, meet your tour guide and driver in your hotel, and drive to take a cable car to Heavenly Terrace Peak (Tiantai Peak, elevation: 1,306 meters), the main peak of Mount Jiuhua. An old saying goes “you never reach Mount Jiuhua without a visit to Heavenly Terrace Peak”. First, take a short hike to visit Ancient Lecture Temple, a small Tang Dynasty temple siting on a steep hillside, where Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is said to once chant Avatamsaka Sutra.
Next, hike upward to visit Tiantai Temple on the summit, the highest temple of Mount Jiuhua that has been visited by Kim Qiaojue and many famous monks. Take your time to visit Wanfo Hall (Ten-Thousand Buddha Hall), Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Hall and Avalokitesvara Hall, trace footprints of master monks and absorb the strong Buddhist culture. The mountain top is still a wonderful location to catch a panoramic view of breathtaking natural scenery of Mount Jiuhua, including thin mist floating among gently rolling hills, grotesque pine trees growing on monstrous rocks and nearby Shiwang Peak - the highest peak of Mount Jiuhua (elevation: 1344.4 meters).
After that, take a cable car down to visit the Phoenix Ancient Pine with an old age of over 1,400 years. This 7.68-meter-tall pine tree is named after its vivid shape of a flying phoenix spreading its wings and has been inspiration for lots of poems, photography and paintings.
Last, visit Zhantanlin Temple, one of the four most important Buddhist temples of Mount Jiuhua. Continue your holy Buddhist pilgrimage to the 19-meter-high statue of Thousand Armed and Eyed Avalokitesvara and 84 Buddha statues enshrined in the elegant Dabei Hall (Great Compassion Hall), giant statues of the Three Saints of Hua-yan in Huayan Hall and 9.9-meter-tall tetrahedral statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in Dayuan Grand Hall. Exquisitely carved ridgepoles, beams, doors, windows and brackets are outstanding features you should see.
After the tour, you will be escorted to the airport or train station to catch your flight or train to next destination.
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