Emei Mountain Zen 3-Day Tour

This is the "Samantabhadra Bodhisattva's sacred site," one of China's four famous Buddhist mountains. It features the golden summit rolling with sea of clouds, the bell sounds of ancient temples, playful monkeys on mountain paths, and a hot spring town at the foot of the mountain. Over 3 days and 2 nights, you will hike Qingyin Pavilion, climb to the golden summit to watch the sunrise, walk with the monkeys, soak in Emei Mountain hot springs, eat vegetarian meals, and drink Zhuyeqing tea. Amidst Buddhist chants and mist, become a traveler whose "heart follows the peaceful scenery." 📍 Destination: Sichuan · Emei Mountain (Baoguo Temple + Leidongping + Golden Summit + Low, middle, and high mountain areas) 📅 Duration: 3 days 2 nights 💰 Total budget: about 2980 RMB/person (including round-trip transportation) 🎯 Keywords: Golden Summit sea of clouds | Wannian Temple | Qingyin Pavilion | Monkey Area | Fuhu Temple | Emei Mountain hot springs | Vegetarian meals | Zhuyeqing tea ✅ Total budget breakdown (per person) Item Cost (RMB) Details 🚆 Round-trip transportation 1200 High-speed rail (Chengdu → Emei Mountain Station 30min/ticket 54; Chongqing → 2h/150; Xi’an → 4h/280; Kunming → 6h/350; book in advance) 🏡 Accommodation (2 nights) 600 Comfortable hotel + mountain view homestay (300 RMB/night), 1 night near Baoguo Temple + 1 night at Leidongping 🍽️ Meals 600 Average 300 per day, including vegetarian meals, Bobo chicken, tofu pudding, cured meat rice, mountain snacks 🎫 Tickets + experiences 480 Emei Mountain ticket 160 + shuttle bus 90 + Golden Summit cable car round trip 120 + Wannian Temple 10 + monkey area insurance 10 + hot springs 98 🚠 Mountain transportation 100 Shuttle bus Baoguo Temple → Leidongping + Leidongping → Jieyin Hall cable car 🎒 Emergency reserve 100 Cold weather clothing rental, trekking poles, thermos, snacks Total ≈2980 RMB Perfectly under the 3000 RMB limit! 💡 Tips: If departing from Chengdu, the high-speed rail takes only 30 minutes, ticket price 54 RMB, very cost-effective! 🗓 Itinerary: Buddha · Mountain · Monkeys · Hot Springs Quartet 🌄 Day 1: Arrive at Emei Mountain + Baoguo Temple blessing + Qingyin Pavilion hike Start with the "Buddhist sounds at the mountain foot," entering a thousand-year Zen atmosphere Morning/Noon: Arrive by high-speed rail at [Emei Mountain Station] → taxi or bus to [Baoguo Temple Scenic Area] (about 30 minutes/20 RMB) Step out to see lush green mountains and fresh air 🏯 Afternoon: Visit [Baoguo Temple] (free) Emei Mountain’s largest temple, the mountain entrance Must experience: Strike the Underworld Bell (108 times, pray for blessings and disaster relief) Visit the Evening Bell of Sacred Accumulation, Seven Buddhas Hall Listen to monks chanting, calm your mind for a moment 🚐 Take shuttle bus to [Qingyin Pavilion] (shuttle included) 🌿 Hike [Qingyin Pavilion → One Line Sky → Ecological Monkey Area] (about 2.5 km, 1.5 hours) Beautiful scenery along the way: Qingyin Flat Lake (Twin Bridge Qingyin, picturesque mountain water) One Line Sky (hundred-meter canyon, echoing ape calls) Ecological Monkey Area (interact with wild macaques, note: no feeding, no direct eye contact, no exposed backpacks) 🏡 Recommended accommodation: [Zen homestay near Baoguo Temple] | Quiet and serene, walking distance to the scenic area Price: about 300 RMB/night 🍜 Dinner: Local restaurant Must order: Emei Mountain tofu pudding + Bobo chicken + stir-fried cured meat with bamboo shoots + Zhuyeqing tea Per person: 70 RMB 🌄 Day 2: Wannian Temple + Washing Elephant Pool + Overnight at Leidongping Climb high and look far, delve into mountain secrets 🚐 Early morning: Take shuttle bus to [Wannian Temple] (1-hour ride) 🏯 Visit [Wannian Temple] (ticket 10 RMB) One of Emei Mountain’s oldest temples, houses a bronze statue of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva Must check in: Beamless Hall architecture Baishui Pool to view "Elephant Pool Night Moon" 🚶 Hike [Wannian Temple → Initial Hall → Xianfeng Temple → Washing Elephant Pool] (optional sections) If physically fit, walk some ancient paths to feel the "ancient mountain charm" Otherwise, take shuttle bus directly to [Leidongping] (altitude 2430 meters) 🏔 Arrive at [Leidongping] — last stop before climbing the Golden Summit The town is hidden in the mist, known as the "Heavenly Market" Cold weather clothing rental available (50 RMB), prepare for next day’s summit 🏡 Recommended accommodation: [Leidongping hotel/inn] | Convenient for early summit climb Price: 300 RMB/night (more expensive on the mountain but worth it) 🍽️ Dinner: Mountain vegetarian meal or cured meat rice Recommended: Emei vegetarian set + yam soup + corn cake Per person: 80 RMB 🌅 Day 3: Golden Summit sunrise + sea of clouds Buddha light + hot spring return At "the place closest to the sky," greet the first ray of sunlight ⏰ 5:00 AM: Walk 1.5 km or take [Jieyin Hall cable car] to the Golden Summit (one-way 65 RMB) ☀️ Reach the [Golden Summit] (altitude 3077 meters) — the peak of Emei! Must check in: Samantabhadra statue (48 meters tall, shining golden light) Rolling sea of clouds (best in early morning) Buddha light appearance (sunlight + mist refraction, rare to see) View Gongga Snow Mountain (visible in good weather) 🕉️ Visit [Huazang Temple] Main temple on the Golden Summit, bustling with incense 🚐 Before noon: Take cable car + shuttle bus back to the mountain foot 🛁 Afternoon: Soak in [Emei Mountain hot springs] (recommended: Hongzhu Mountain Hot Spring or Tianyi Hot Spring) Natural geothermal hot springs with sulfur minerals, relieve hiking fatigue Surrounded by forest, soak and drink tea, very healing Ticket: 98 RMB/person 🚆 Evening: Return to Emei Mountain Station, take high-speed rail back 📌 Tips 🌧️ Weather reminder: Emei Mountain is often rainy and foggy, be sure to bring raincoat + thermos Large temperature difference at the Golden Summit, recommend renting down jacket (50 RMB) Best seasons: spring and autumn (April-May, September-October), winter for snow scenery 📸 Top 5 photo spots: Golden Summit "Samantabhadra + sea of clouds" Qingyin Pavilion "Twin Bridge Qingyin" One Line Sky "deep canyon" Leidongping "misty town" Monkey Area "playful monkeys" 🍜 Food highlights: Must-eat three treasures: Bobo chicken, tofu pudding, stir-fried cured meat with bamboo shoots Must-drink: Zhuyeqing tea, Emei Snow Bud Must-try: vegetarian meals, Ye’er Ba (leaf-wrapped rice cake), frozen tofu 🐵 Monkey safety tips: No feeding, no teasing, no exposed backpacks Walking stick can deter monkeys but do not hit Buy monkey area insurance 10 RMB (recommended) 💡 Fun fact: "Emei" is named because the mountain shape resembles a beautiful woman’s eyebrow Emei Mountain has over 2400 plant species and 300 animal species Zhuyeqing tea comes from Emei Mountain and is one of China’s top ten famous teas 📷 Final words: Emei Mountain is not an ordinary mountain, but an Eastern Zen poem written with Buddhist chants, sea of clouds, playful monkeys, and hot springs. With the golden summit’s light, Qingyin’s tranquility, monkey area’s fun, and hot spring’s warmth, it gently tells you: life doesn’t have to rush; sometimes stopping to listen to the mountain breeze is also a kind of practice. For less than 3000 RMB, you can have a deeply purifying, visually stunning, and tastefully satisfying journey.