Mount Putuo National Park
Mount Putuo is a national park in China, located on an island in the Zhoushan archipelago. The coastline of the island is approximately 12 km. There is no noise and fuss on the island, since foreigners rarely come here due to its remoteness from mainland China. The island is sometimes called a small copy of China.
Mount Putuo has been legendary among Chinese Buddhists for a long time, as it is the place of enlightenment of Avalokiteshvara, better known as Guan Yin. The island is a fairly large mountain, which is also sacred in China. The sacred mountains also include: Wutaishan - the place of enlightenment of Manjushri, Ksitigarbhi was enlightened in Jiuhuashan, and Samantabhadra was enlightened in Emeishan. The name of the mountain arose from the name of Guan Yin's refuge in the mountains - "Potalaka".
Attractions
At the moment, Mount Putuo National Park has completely become a tourist area, which can be divided into 3 parts: Mount Putuo, Mount Luojia and Zhujiajian. The total space of the tourist zone is 42 km2. From the northern part of the island, Mount Putuo - Dragon's Head, is rarely visited by tourists. Therefore, this place is suitable for lovers of solitude.
Although the island is surrounded on all sides by beaches, most of them are not suitable for swimming; others are difficult to swim at low tide. Because of this, guests of the island have no choice but to admire the local architecture, which is the cultural heritage of China. The park's attractions include a 33-meter figure of the goddess of mercy Guan Yin, holding in her hand the wheel of Dharma - a sign of the Buddha's teaching.
The architectural ensemble of the Puji Temple, constructed back in 1080, is of considerable interest. In the main hall of the temple there is a statue of Guan Yin, and nearby there are other sculptures personifying various reincarnations of the deity. There are a total of 33 sculptures in the temple. The Pagoda of All Treasures was built near Luji Temple in 1334. There is also a Fayu Temple on the island, which began to be built in 1580. In the center of the island, in the mountains, there are caves and temples for meditation.
It is best to get around this mini version of China on foot in order to fully enjoy its beauty. Mount Putuo should be visited in the summer, when there are not many tourists and pilgrims. ON THE island you can taste many seafood delicacies, which, according to local chefs, cannot be tasted anywhere else.
