Mount Emei ([ɤ̌.měi]; Chinese: 峨眉山[1]; pinyin: Éméi shān) is a mountain in Sichuan Province, China, and is one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China. Mt. Emei sits at the western rim of the Sichuan Basin. The mountains west of it are known as Daxiangling.[2] A large surrounding area of countryside is geologically known as the Permian Emeishan Large Igneous Province, a large igneous province generated by the Emeishan Traps volcanic eruptions during the Permian Period. At 3,099 metres (10,167 ft), Mt. Emei is the highest of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China.[3] , and is traditionally regarded as the bodhimaṇḍa, or place of enlightenment, of the bodhisattvaSamantabhadra. Samantabhadra is known in Mandarin as Pǔxián Púsà (普賢菩薩).
Sources of the 16th and 17th centuries allude to the practice of martial arts in the monasteries of Mount Emei[5] made the earliest extant reference to the Shaolin Monastery as Chinese boxing’s place of origin.[6]
This is the location of the first Buddhist temple built in China in the 1st century CE.[4] The site has seventy-six Buddhist monasteries of the Ming and Qing period, most of them located near the mountain top. The monasteries demonstrate a flexible architectural style that adapts to the landscape. Some, such as the halls of Baoguosi, are built on terraces of varying levels, while others, including the structures of Leiyinsi, are on raised stilts. Here the fixed plans of Buddhist monasteries of earlier periods were modified or ignored in order to make full use of the natural scenery. The buildings of Qingyinge are laid out in an irregular plot on the narrow piece of land between the Black Dragon River and the White Dragon River. The site is large and the winding foot path is 50 km (31 mi), taking several days to walk.[7]
O-Mei Mountain (also written as Emei) is situated in Sichuan, the largest province of China with a population of almost 100 million. Sichuan is more commonly known by its old spelling, Szechwan, famous for its spicy hot cuisine. Her capital city is Chengdu (successful metropolis), also known as Jincheng (brocade city) from its eminence in the silk brocade trade. Chengdu alone has a population of 3 million, with another 6 million in the surrounding suburbs. But only an hour drive away from this monstrous city is one of China’s most sacred mountains, O-Mei.
The O of O-Mei means “high.” Mei means “eyebrow” as in Bai Mei, the infamous “white eyebrow” betrayer of Shaolin Temple. Since “high eyebrows” are considered very beautiful to the Chinese, O-Mei can refer to a beautiful woman. It is also used to describe the crescent-shape of the moon. O-Mei is considered one of China’s famous Four Buddhist Mountains, but is also heavily influenced by Taoism. Rising to an altitude of 10,200 ft., this majestic natural wonder evokes the days of yore with its inspirational vistas and time-honored temples. It is said that a traveler can experience all four seasons while hiking from foothill to summit up the mighty O-Mei and that in certain areas, the rainbows will follow your shadow. From this timeless peak arose some of China’s most powerful kungfu.
The Kungfu of O-Mei Mountain situated in the western mountainous regions of China, China’s sovereignty over Sichuan was often disputed throughout past dynasties. This elicited a long-standing history of war over the province, which developed an extensive tradition of kungfu. During these difficult times, many individuals retreated to the mountains, either to repent from past killing or to avoid going to war completely. Many brought with them an assortment of different styles of kungfu from all across China.