Two mountain destinations for bliss and stone carvings

In Hainan province, Dongshan Mountain and the Nanshan Scenic Area, the two most famous Buddhism destinations in the province, attract many Buddhists from across China every year.

According to historians, Buddhism came to Hainan during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), with the Chinese monk Jianzhen an important figure.

Jianzhen, today known for promoting Buddhism in Japan, attempted to visit Japan six times from AD 743 to 754.

In AD 748, after the fifth attempt failed, Jianzhen passed by Hainan. According to legends, he and his disciples gave lectures on Dongshan Mountain, a significant event in popularizing Buddhism on the island.

Dongshan Mountain, dubbed as the First Mountain in Hainan and located in the city of Wanning, is home to a number of famous temples, most of which were built during the Tang Dynasty.

The mountain area covers some 10 square kilometers and is 184 meters high at its peak. Ancient temples and historic relics on the mountain are key cultural heritage sites in Hainan. The Chaoyin Temple is a very popular destination for overseas Chinese Buddhists.

Dongshan Mountain is also known for calligraphy works carved on its stones by literary figures from different dynasties.

The stone carvings in Dongshan Mountain started during the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD 317-420). On visits to the mountain, poets and essayists would sit and write and then assign sculptors to carve them out on stones. Today, the calligraphy works, all in various styles, attract art lovers from around the country.

More than a million tourists visit Dongshan Mountain annually. In 2013, the National Tourism Administration designated the mountain region as a national 4A tourist site (5A is the highest level).

While Dongshan Mountain is known for its stone carvings, the Nanshan Scenic Area in Sanya is known as the most blissful Buddhist destination. The name Nanshan originates from a popular Buddhist expression: "Good fortune is as much as the East Sea, longevity is as high as Nanshan".

The Nanshan Temple and the statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva are must-see sites. The stone statue stands 108 meters tall on a manmade island just off Nanshan and is larger than the Statue of Liberty. There is also a temple for Guanyin Bodhisattva on the island.

According to the tourism bureau of Sanya, approximately 4 million tourists visit the Nanshan Scenic Area each year, which tops all scenic sites in the city.

fuchao@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 05/29/2015 page7)