Destinations - Far East - Mt Jiuhua

The most picturesque mountain in southeast China, Mt Jihua is one of four mountains held sacred to Buddhists. Passengers will tour one of the many buddhist temples.

Jiuhua Mountain is dotted with temples and misted with the smoke of burning joss sticks. It is a sacred place for Buddhist pilgrims. Noted for its beautiful scenery and favorable climate, the mountain is an ideal summer resort. With a unique appeal, Jiuhua has been established as one of the four most important Buddhist mountains in China and is known in and out of the country as "the most worshipped sacred place" and "the first mountain in Southeast China".

Jiuhua covers an area of 100 square kilometers southwest of Qingyang county in the south of Anhui Province. There are 99 peaks and 18 scenic spots. The peaks stand sheer against each other, yet they are all exquisitely beautiful. In the height of prosperity, the temples numbered 150 and the monks and nuns more than 3,000.

When Li Bai was invited to the mountain, he was overwhelmed by the scene of nine peaks that look like lotus blooms from heaven. Out of admiration he composed the lines:"Two forces preserve between the World and the Heaven; / Nine lotuses blossom on the Jiuhua Mountain." Since then the mountain has been attracting men of letters throughout the ages, and thus Jiuhua obtained its fame. Just as the Chinese saying goes,"A mountain is famous not for its height but for its holiness".

View all the cruises that call at Mt Jiuhua, Far East cruise destination

Companies: Viking River Cruises,

Useful links: