Golden Summit Travel Guide
Brief Introduction
The Golden Summit Scenic Area is 16 square kilometers, and its yearly average temperature is 3 C. Golden Summit is 3,079m and the Wanfo (Ten Thousand Buddha) Summit, known as the highest peak on the mountain, is 3,099 m above sea level. The most wondrous sight-seeing platform and the biggest pilgrimage center of Chinese Buddhism, it is crowned as a scenic masterpiece in the Chinese World.
There is a historic story about the source of Golden Summit. The 21st son of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang in Ming Dynasty called Zhu Mo sincerely believed in Buddhism,and he awarded 150kg of gold to build Golden Hall of Da´e Mountain in the highest point of Mt.Emei. Therefore,the tiles,pillars,doors and window lattices of Golden Hall are all made of copper and gold. Under the bright sunshine ,the hall looks like splendid in green and gold,hence comes the name "Golden Summit". The peak also called Golden Summit on this account.
Words cannot describe the feeling one has on the summit, of being "in the clouds and above everything else in the world". It really is a spectacular place to visit. As the clouds would roll in and out, whole buildings would disappear from view, and at one point, we were walking along a path beside the cliff, and the clouds simply caused the whole world to disappear from view. It was magical.
Features
The Golden Summit is an ideal place to view the sunrise, the sea of clouds, the "Buddhist lights" and "Sacred lamps". The major scenic goals of tourists to be up here are to witness a sunrise or sun set over the sea of clouds at the summit. There is also a temple there, setting in a terraced complex near the cliff edge, derives from its former shiny bronze roof, replaced in 1989 with bright yellow tiles. You can stay here at night then get up at dawn and join the swarms huddling on the terrace in the hope of catching the sunrise, which is marvelous on a good day, as it lights up the sea of clouds below the peak. In the afternoon, these clouds sometimes catch a rain-bow like rings know as Buddha´s Halo, which surround and move with your shadow
Traffic:
There are special buses running to the Gold Summit you can take.
DCT Tips:
Recommend time for a visit: two hours!