Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Ñaño house with mausoleum skull in foreground.
Ñaño Casa Museo
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
The salt cairn.
The Lewis and Clark Salt Works
South entrance.
Reigate Tunnel
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
8 days ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
8 days ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
8 days ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
8 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All China Meishan Golden Summit Temple

Golden Summit Temple

A golden temple atop a sacred mountain, known for its giant effigy of the revered Pu Xian.

Meishan, China

Added By
Clinton
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Puxian Emei and the Golden Summit Temple   http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pux...
Puxian Emei and the Golden Summit Temple   http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pux...
The Ten Direction Bodhisattva   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Puxian_E...
A view down the final stairs leading up to the Temple and statue   http://flickr.com/photos/willemvdh/2289743...
A view up the final stairs leading to the temple and statue   http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2317/253037...
The entrance to the Golden Summit Temple   http://www.flickr.com/photos/avlxyz/219754...
A close-up of one of the elephants along the final stairs to the temple   http://www.flickr.com/photos/pookieevans/8...
“The Valley of Ten-Thousand Monkeys”   http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/WhuAp...
A Macaca Thibetana on Mount Emei   http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mac...
  http://flickr.com/photos/avlxyz/2196753169/
A faint glory ring around the buddha, called “The Holy Light”   http://flickr.com/photos/avlxyz/2197535680/
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, or Puxian in Chinese, is said to have meditated on Mount Emei, and has thus been dubbed protector of the area and patron Buddha of the monasterie in the region.

Located atop Mount Emei in Sichuan, China, this epic statue, at 48 meters high, is the 22nd tallest statue in the world. But its height is not its most notable feature, so much as its unique head, as this massive graven image faces in ten directions, one for each of the Bodhisattva's 'Ten Truths of Universal Worthiness'.

Located on one of China's four sacred Buddhist mountains, The Golden Summit Temple is accessible by foot or by cable car. The journey on foot takes about 2 hours up steep stairs, and winding through the valleys and up the mountain one can spot numerous Tibetan macaques. The monkeys will gladly take food and drink from visitors, and have been known to do so whether one permits them or not.

The views and landscape can tend to be foggy, rainy, or snowy if visiting in winter, and it is suggested to visit in autumn for clear views. The Golden Summit Temple is situated behind the statue of Puxian, and between the two visitors may burn incense offerings toward the Bodhisattva.

In general Mount Emei and the surrounding areas are covered in Buddhist temples and monasteries, a particularly important and sacred place to followers. At one time there were many more monasteries, but the apex of Chinese Buddhism has come and gone since it was first introduced over 2000 years ago. Even still, each morning countless Buddhist pilgrims can still be seen climbing the mountain.

Related Tags

Statues Sacred Spaces Giant Buddhas

Community Contributors

Added By

Clinton

Edited By

Collector of Experiences

  • Collector of Experiences

Published

December 16, 2009

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Emei
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samantabhadra
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_statues_by_height
  • http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/special-report/top-summer-resort/mountain-emei.htm
Golden Summit Temple
Meishan
China
29.741725, 103.308563

Nearby Places

Giant Buddha

Leshan, China

miles away

Qin Shan Zhai

Chengdu, China

miles away

Du Fu KFC

Chengdu, China

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of China

China

Asia

Places 218
Stories 77

Nearby Places

Giant Buddha

Leshan, China

miles away

Qin Shan Zhai

Chengdu, China

miles away

Du Fu KFC

Chengdu, China

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of China

China

Asia

Places 218
Stories 77

Related Stories and Lists

17 Golden Statues You Didn’t Know Existed

List

By Roxanne Hoorn

Related Places

  • The giant Buddha looms over the pathway.

    Beruwala, Sri Lanka

    Kande Vihara

    This amazing mountain temple is topped by one of the tallest sitting Buddha statues in the world.

  • Mawlamyine, Myanmar (Burma)

    Win Sein Taw Ya

    The world's largest reclining Buddha, the Giant Buddha of Mudon.

  • Sakura tie in Showa Daibutsu, Aomori

    Aomori, Japan

    Showa Daibutsu

    The tallest bronze seated statue of the Buddha in Japan.

  • The Great Buddha of Nihon-ji Temple, Mount Nokogiri.

    Kyonan, Japan

    Nihonji Daibutsu: The Great Buddha of Nihonji

    This giant seated Bhudda of Healing dates to the 1780s.

  • Photo by Ginza-line

    Ushiku, Japan

    Ushiku Daibutsu: The Great Buddha of Ushiku

    The third-tallest statue in the world depicts the "Buddha of Infinite Light," complete with observation deck in his chest.

  • Kyoto, Japan

    Gokōshiyui Amidabutsu

    This statue of Buddha has a distinctive hairstyle meant to represent an unfathomably long period of meditation.

  • Kailashnath Mahadev

    Sanga, Nepal

    Kailashnath Mahadev Statue

    Nepal is home to the world’s tallest Shiva statue.

  • The Bamberg Horseman, 2008.

    Bamberg, Germany

    Bamberg Horseman

    Art historians have debated the identity of this medieval stone rider since the 19th century.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.