Visit Mount Emei in Autumn - Weather, Scenery, Packing List & Tips

Autumn is the best time to hike on Mount Emei Mountain with comfortable temperatures and beautiful scenery. "In in the mid-autumn, the moon rises from Mount Emei, with its shadow flowing along the PingQiang river", Li Bai, a famous ancient Chinese poet known by the Chinese household, once praised Emei Mountain. It is one of the four famous Buddhist mountains in China, and the only UNESCO World Heritage Site among them (the other three: Mt. Wutai, Mt. Putuo, Mt. Jiuhua).

As a professional travel agency that is exactly based in Chengdu (only 156km to Mount Emei, 2.5h by car), here we have provided you with some useful information about Mount Emei in autumn, such as the weather, scenery, packing suggestions and travel tips to help you better plan a Mount Emei trip.

Mount Emei Weather in September, October and November

The temperature is comfortable in September and mid-October and it keeps going down in autumn and it becomes very cold since late November. It is also humid and cloudy all the time. The average temperature of Mount Emei in September is between 1°C / 34°F and 17°C / 63°F; in October is between -2°C / 28°F and 12°C / 54°F, and in November is between -8°C / 18°F and 9°C / 48°F. The chart below shows the day by day temperature of Mount Emei from September to November, 2019.

❉ Tips: The temperature at different altitudes in Emei Mountain scenic spot varies a lot. Generally, the difference between the top of the mountain and the foot of the mountain is about 14℃ / 57°F. Therefore, it is necessary to bring extra clothes to keep warm (there is also a coat renting shop at the top of the mountain).

Mount Emei Temperature from Sep to Nov, 2019 (Measured at the foot of the mountain)

☼ Mount Emei Sunsrise and Sunset in Autumn

What to See & Do in Mount Emei in Autumn

Autumn is the best season to visit Mount Emei. Hiking upward to the top of the mountain and enjoying the fall leaves, entering different temples and getting to know the Buddhist culture, and encountering the masters of the mountain, emei monkeys, you will have a strenuous but worthwhile hiking experience in Emeishan Mountain.

Enjoy the Hiking Among the Fall Foliage of Mount Emei

Though the autumn of Emei Mountain is short, hiking on Emei Mountain can not only be enjoyable for the mountaineering itself, but also you can see the beautiful fall foliage all over the mountain from the middle of September to the end of October. Every year, the leaves on the mountain change from green to yellow, from yellow to red. Standing on the top area, overlooking the valley, colorful forest, in the veil of the misty. Here are some recommended scenic sites to enjoy the Fall Foliage of Mount Emei: Xixiangchi, Leidongping, Jinding (Golden Summit).Recommended hiking route for most of the people: Wannian temple - Xiangchi - Leidongping - Jinding

☀ Sunset in autumn: Jinding (Golden Summit) is the best place to enjoy the sunset of Emei Mountain, with a stunning orangish and reddish forest view. It is extremely stunning when the weather is good.

☽ Full Moon: Going to Emei around the mid-autumn festival, you shall not miss appreciating the beautiful full Moon as the poem written by Libai. When the weather is good, here you can find a land of tranquility away from the city light and car, embracing only the echoing of the nature with the moon and stars upon your head. The best sites to appreciate the moon are Golden Summit, Xixiangchi, Wannian Temple, etc.

★ Recommended Mount Emei Tour:

☛ 3 Days Mount Emei Classic Walking Tour

Learn the Buddism Culture of Mount Emei

Mount Emei is one of the four famous Buddhist mountains in China, with a history of more than 1000 years. There are 30 existing temples in Emei Mountain Scenic Area, with a total construction area of about 100,000 square meters. In the Golden Summit is palaced a 62-ton Samantabhadra Bodhisattva statue with the architectural style of the Northern Song Dynasty, which attracts many worshippers and tourists to reach the summit. Buddhists believe that Samantabhadra Bodhisattva is a symbol of auspiciousness and strength, which is also the landmark of Emei Mountain and an incomparable sites on Mount Emei. It is suggested to have 1-2 hours' stay in Jinding (Golden Summit) to appreciate the sunrise/sunset, cloud sea, Golden Buddha, golden palace, Silver Palace, bronze palace, and four landscape viewing platforms. In addition to the Golden Summit, many of the temples on the mountain can be accommodated and provide vegetarian Food.

★ Recommended Mount Emei Tour:

☛ 3 Days Mount Emei Hiking Tour from Chengdu

Encounter the Babaric Monkeys

Emei Mountain dwells lots of wild natural monkeys, which mainly inhabit in the mountains from the altitude from 800 meters to 2400 meters. There are 6 monkey groups in total, about 1000 monkeys. The monkeys are not only creatures living in Emei, but the monkeys in Emei are famous all over the country. The reason is that the short-tailed monkeys here are not afraid of people and did many barbaric deeds such as swaggering on the road, robbing food, clinging on tourists' arms. Emei Mountain is a place where monkeys have become very bold, wild and intelligent when they have been with people for a long time. If you like to feed the monkeys and take a picture with them, you may go to the natural ecological monkey area (生态猴区) of Emei Mountain for a stroll. However, please note the monkey group is still very wild and untamed. Please refer to the tips below when entering the natural ecological monkey area.

★ Recommended Mount Emei Tour:

☛ 4 Days Classic Leshan Giant Buddha & Mount Emei Tour from Chengdu

What to Wear & Pack for Emeishan Autumn Trip

• What to Wear: The temperature is comfortable from September the mid-November, but it is still very cold on the mountain especially at night. It is recommended to wear windbreakers, jackets, sweaters, trousers, long sleeve, sweater, for the early autumn, and overcoats, sweaters, woolen jacket, gloves, down jacket and scarfs if you come after October. As you are hiking upward to the top, you need to wrap yourself with more warm-keep clothes or rent a winter coat / down jacket at Leidongping.

• What to Pack: Besides the Weather-appropriate clothing and the necessities such as your passport, visa, credit card, etc. you also need to pack some essential hiking gears: Hiking backpack, Hiking boots or shoes, Navigation (map, compass), First aid, Knife or multi-tool,water bottle, warm paste, Knife or multi-tool, Necessary Food and Water Package for the emergent situation, Extra Food and water (optional, purchasable on the mountain but a little pricey with limited choices), Extra clothes for high altitude area and nighttime.

How to Plan Your Mount Emei Tour

A Mount Emei tour usually starts from Chengdu, and combine visits to both Leshan Giant Buddha and Mount Emei. You can set out for tour at morning from your hotel in Chengdu, then drive about 2.5 hours to Leshan City to visit the Giant Buddha (about 2hrs), then go to stay a night at the foot of Mount Emei. After that, you can spend one day to visit the highlighting part (Leidongping to Golden Summit), or 2 days to hike from Wannian Temple to Golden Summit, or 3 days to have an in-depth hiking from Qingyin Pavilion to Golden Summit. Eco-bus and cable cars can be used to save energy if you want. After Mount Emei tour, you can transfer back to your hotel in Chengdu, or directly to the airport/train station to continue your trip.

★ Recommended Mount Emei Tours:

☛ 2 Days Mount Emei Leshan Giant Buddha Smart Tour

☛ 3 Days Mount Emei Classic Walking Tour

☛ 3 Days Mount Emei Leisure Hiking Tour from Chengdu

If you plan to spend more days travelling, you can try some popular panda volunteer programs, go to the wonderland Jiuzhaigou, see the Leshan Giant Buddha, or expand your trip to Beijing - capital of China, Shanghai - modern metropolis, and Xian - time-honored ancient capital to have a deeper understanding of China.

★ Recommended Tours including Mount Emei:

☛ 7 Days Sichuan Discovery Tour (Chengdu / Leshan / Emei / Chengdu / Jiuzhaigou)

☛ 6 Days Leshan, Mount Emei & Panda Volunteer Tour

If you have more questions about a Chengdu trip, please feel free to contact us. We are specialized in customized tours according to your interests, budget, traveling time, etc. Just tell us your needs, and we will provided you with a satisfactory tour.

Mount Emei Scenery