Facts About Mount Fanjingshan You Won’t Find Anywhere Else
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Mount Fanjing, also called Fanjingshan, is present in Tongren City, in the eastern Guizhou Province of China, about 154 mi (248 km) from Guiyang and 136 mi (220 km) from Zhangjiajie.
Mount Fanjing is at an elevation of 1.59 mi (2572 m) and is the highest peak of the Wuling mountains. Besides that, Fanjingshan is also a sacred place for Buddhists, and there is a belief that this is the mountain where a human can attain spiritual enlightenment.
The name ‘Fanjing,’ which is an acronym of ‘Fantian Jingtu,’ a Buddhist phrase that means ‘Brahma’s Pure Land,’ was given to the mountain.
After Mount Mount Jiuhua in Anhui Province, Wutai in Shanxi Province, Mount Emei in Sichuan Province, and Mount Putuo in Zhejiang Province, it is known as China’s Fifth Buddhist Mountain.
Mount Fanjing has a magnificent, tranquil, and unique environment with a 2000-year heritage, many strange rock formations, and diverse biodiversity that can provide a pleasant and spiritual respite from the busyness of big cities.
This mountain is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that preserves endangered animals and plants.
Fanjingshan, like Avatar Hallelujah Mountain in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, is a vertical peak that looks like a pencil standing on a table and is much higher than it is wide.
Travelers must either hike up about 8,000 stairs or take a cable car trip from the road underneath to reach the top. Most visitors like to spend a whole day touring this incredible holy mountain.
Old Golden Summit, Red Cloud Golden Peak, Ten-Thousand Sleeping Buddha, Jiulong Pond, Fenghuang Mountain, Mushroom Stone, Numerous Rolls of Books, and other sites are highlights.
There is possibly no better sight in the world than that from the Red Clouds Golden Summit, also known as the New Golden Summit for many. The Temple of Buddha and Maitreya Temple are positioned 2,336 m (7,664 ft) above sea level.
A short stone bridge connects the two temples, separated by a canyon. The approximately 8,000 steps to the temples take around five hours to climb, though many rest spots have refreshments along the route.
Another alternative is to ride the cable car to Mushroom Stone. On the summit of Mount Fanjing, this odd rock formation testifies to the prehistoric origins of the area.
Even though Red Clouds Golden Peak is spectacular, it is only one of three summits of Fanjingshan. It’s no surprise that Fanjing is an abbreviation for Fantian Jingtu, which translates to ‘Brahma’s Pure Land.’ Brahma is among Buddhism’s four divine kings, and this unearthly setting is unquestionably appropriate for a king.
With 791 species, including 74 indigenous to China, Fanjingshan is known for its bryophyte diversity. With 36 kinds of gymnosperms, the property contains one of the world’s wealthiest populations of gymnosperms.
The property comprises a large number of endemic species, 46 regional endemic and 1,010 Chinese endemic species of plants, and four locally endemic vertebrate species.
The endangered Guizhou Snub-nosed monkey, seen only in Fanjingshan but nowhere else on the planet, is the most noteworthy among these. Fanjingshan Fir is another notable indigenous species that is only found in this location.
Geography
The climate in Fanjingshan, located in the hilly Guizhou Province, is a humid subtropical monsoon with four distinct seasons. The average annual temperature varies between 13.1°C (55 F) and 14.7°C (57 F).
With average temperatures around 24°C (75 F), the warm days come in late July, and the most incredible nights, with average temperatures of about 4.6°C (40 F), arrive in early January. In general, the climate of Fanjingshan is warm, with plenty of sunshine and rain.
Summers aren’t too hot, and winters aren’t too frigid. The rainy season extends from May to October, and the yearly frost-free period is between 270 and 278 days.
March through November is the optimum season to visit Mount Fanjing. The great time to come here is early in the morning if you want to capture some unexpected shots. After the rain, the Zen Fog, Sea of Clouds, Buddha Light, and a magnificent sunrise will arise.
History & Cultural Significance
Fanjingshan is one of Chinese Buddhism’s sacred mountains, placed just below the other Four Sacred Mountains. It is thought to be the Maitreya Buddha’s bodhimaa (or daochang)—the place where he attained enlightenment.
By the Tang dynasty, Buddhism had spread to Fanjingshan, notably after Hou Hongren built the Zangke Road in 639 AD, which improved transportation in the hilly terrain, and regional gazettes recorded the construction of multiple temples in the vicinity. During the Yuan and Song dynasties that followed, more temples were constructed.
Buddhism flourished when the cult of Tianguan Maitreya became prevalent in Fanjingshan during the Qing and Ming dynasties. The temples of Fanjingshan were severely damaged during the Bozhou revolt in the late 16th century.
After putting down the revolution, the Wanli Emperor ordered the monk Miaoxuan to restore the Golden Peak and the Cheng'en Temple. Many more temples were built in the area, ushering in Fanjingshan’s golden age of Buddhism. During the Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty periods, the Linji sects of Buddhism controlled the majority of temples.
Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve
The UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to 3,724 plant and animal species, accounting for about a quarter of China’s total vegetation. The area is known for its extraordinary bryophyte diversity and for being one of China’s gymnosperm distribution centers.
It houses about 2,317 species of invertebrates.
The property is home to 450 different vertebrate species.
Fanjingshan is home to the Guizhou Snub-nosed Monkey and Fanjingshan Fir, and also 38 animal and 64 plant species enumerated as globally threatened or endangered species, along with the tree Bretschneidera Sinensis (EN), Forest Musk Deer (Moschus berezovskii - EN), Chinese Giant Salamander (Andrias davidianus - CR), Asiatic Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus - VU) and Reeves’s Pheasant (Syrmaticus (Ursus thibetanus - VU).
The property is divided into two ecoregions: Jian Nan subtropical evergreen forests (64 %) and Guizhou Plateau deciduous and mixed forests (34 %) (36 % ). The property’s highest peak, Mount Fanjing, is 2,570 m (1.5 mi) above sea level (masl), and it spans an elevation range of more than 2,000 m (1.2 mi).
Mixed evergreen and deciduous broadleaf forests (1,300-2,200 masl), evergreen broadleaf forest (1,300 masl), and mixed deciduous broadleaf and scrub and conifer forests (>2,200 masl) are the three major elevational vegetation regions.
Fanjingshan is a metamorphic rock island in the karst sea home to several old and endangered animals and plants that emerged between 64 million and 2.1 million years ago in the Tertiary period. The geology and climatic features of the property have shaped the vegetation, which acts as if it were an island.
There are 4 endemic vertebrate species, 46 locally endemic plant species, and 245 endemic invertebrate species due to this high level of endemism.
The two most conspicuous endemic species are Guizhou Snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus brelichi - EN) and Fanjingshan Fir (Abies fanjingshanensis - EN). Both of them are only found on the property.
World Heritage Site
The Fanjingshan UNESCO World Heritage Site is located in southwest China and spans 40,275 hectares (155 sq mi), including a buffer zone of 37,239 hectares (143 sq mi). With around 20 streams and rivers supplying the Yuanjiang and Wujiang River systems, both of them eventually flow into the Yangtze River.
Fanjingshan is a significant source of water for the neighboring communities and beyond. This area is the conservation area for primitive vegetation.
Other Miscellaneous Facts
Chinese people consider this place the most sacred place to worship Buddhism in the country.
This area also has two Buddhist temples built very high. Looks like they are in the sky at the New Golden Summit.
Buddhist temples have been constructed alongside mountains in China since the seventh century.
Reaching this temple is not at all an easy thing. You have to climb about 9000 steps to reach the top or take a cable car.
Mount Fanjing has extraordinary rock formations and stone pillars.
This place is considered the hive of biodiversity in China.
FAQs
Q: Where is Fanjingshan Temple?
A: This temple in Mount Fanjingshan is present in Tongren City, in the eastern Guizhou Province of China.
Q: How was Fanjingshan formed?
A: It is formed with some strange rock formations.
Q: Who built Fanjingshan?
A: There is no particular person who built it.
Q: Where is Mount Fanjingshan located?
A: It is present in Tongren City, in the eastern Guizhou Province of China
Q: What is the significance of Mount Fanjingshan?
A: This sacred mountain has two Buddhist temples, a Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve, is the highest peak of the Wuling Mountains, and altogether it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Q: When and why was Mount Fanjingshan declared a World Heritage Site?
A: It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1978. It has a National Nature reserve and two very sacred Buddhist culture temples (Buddha and Maitreya Temple) built on a vertical pinnacle.
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Aashita DhingraBachelors in Business Administration
Based in Lucknow, India, Aashita is a skilled content creator with experience crafting study guides for high school-aged kids. Her education includes a degree in Business Administration from St. Mary's Convent Inter College, which she leverages to bring a unique perspective to her work. Aashita's passion for writing and education is evident in her ability to craft engaging content.
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