China: Fanjingshan, Holy site of Bhudhists, located on Golden Peak

Fanjingshan or Mount Fanjing in Tongren, located in Guizhou Province in China, Fanjing is a Chinese word which means “Buddhist tranquillity.” Fanjing has been a holy site for Buddhists since the Tang Dynasty. Highs up in China‘s Wuling Mountains sits two Buddhist temples: The Temple of the Buddha and the Maitreya Temple.

Fanjing is located on the “Red Clouds Golden Summit or Golden Peak” on Fanjingshan Mountain, thus also known as Mount Fanjing. It is the highest point of the Wuling Mountains in southwestern China. It ranges in altitude between 500 metres and 2,570 metres above sea level, favouring highly diverse vegetation types and relief.

It became part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018. The entire region has some unusual rock formations and rich biodiversity, which makes the place a nature lover’s dream.

The Fajingshan or Mount Fanjing also established a natural reservoir in 1978 called, The Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve. UNESCO designated it as a Biosphere Reserve in 1986. The Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve generally covers a total area of 567 km2 and is also a conservation area for primitive vegetation of the mid-sub-tropic alpine region of eastern China.

During the 16th century, the Bozhou rebellion (a Miao uprising that occurred in Guizhou and spread to Sichuan and Huguang) destroyed various Buddhist temples in the Fanjingshan region. After the uprising was suppressed, the Wanli Emperor (14th Emperor of the Ming dynasty) ordered the reconstruction of the Golden Peak with the Temple of the Buddha & Maitreya Temple.

The Temple of the Buddha is dedicated to the worship of Sakiymuni, representing the present, whilst the Maitreya temple represents the future. Both were built on a vertical pinnacle of two peaks connected by a stone bridge traversing a large crevice called the gold sword gorge. This natural wonder can be reached via a staircase of 8,888 steps or a cable car.