Experience the best of Emeishan City

Emeishan is a county-level city administered by Leshan, in Sichuan province, named after Mount Emei, which lies within its area. The mountain's summit, at 3,099 metres, is the city's highest point. Emei has been a sacred Buddhist mountain for centuries, and with the Giant Buddha of nearby Leshan it forms a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Temples are scattered on the lower slopes, among them Baoguo Temple near the foot and Wannian Temple, which holds a bronze statue of the bodhisattva Samantabhadra on a white elephant. Higher up, paths and stairways wind through forest where Tibetan macaques beg for food, and the Golden Summit has a temple and a viewpoint above cloud-filled valleys.

The slopes grow tea, and Emei bamboo-leaf green is the best-known leaf. Monastery kitchens serve vegetarian dishes, while the town itself eats in the Sichuan manner, with chilli and Sichuan pepper. Rain is frequent throughout the year, and mist often hides the upper mountain.