Wannian Temple


Reconstructed in the 9th century, Wannian Temple (1020m) is the oldest surviving Emei temple. It’s dedicated to the man on the white elephant, the Bodhisattva Pǔxián (also known as Samantabhadra), the Buddhist Lord of Truth and patron of the mountain. This 8.5m-high statue cast in copper and bronze dates from AD 980 and weighs an estimated 62,000kg. If you can manage to rub the elephant’s hind leg, good luck will be cast upon you.

The statue is housed in Brick Hall, a domed building with small stupas on it – the only building left unharmed in a 1945 fire.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Báilóngdòng

0.44 MILES

Fabled to be the spot where legendary nymph Bai Suzhen morphed from a white snake into a beautiful woman. Surprisingly then, the temple that currently…

2. Qingyin Pavilion

0.77 MILES

Named ‘Pure Sound Pavilion’ after the soothing sounds of the waters coursing around rock formations, this temple (710m) is built on an outcrop in the…

3. Monkey Zone

0.94 MILES

Between Qingyin Pavilion and Hóngchūn Píng (Venerable Trees Terrace), you will at some point encounter the mountain’s infamous monkeys. Unfortunately,…

4. Chu Temple

1.41 MILES

This small one-room temple makes a nice shady spot to rest en route to Huayan Peak.

5. Xianfeng Temple

2.54 MILES

Somewhat off the beaten track on the long way round to the peak, this carefully tended monastery (1752m) is backed by rugged cliffs and surrounded by…

6. Elephant Bathing Pool

2.94 MILES

According to legend, Elephant Bathing Pool (2070m) is where Pǔxián flew his elephant in for a nice scrub, but today there’s not much of a pool to speak of…

7. Leiyin Temple

2.99 MILES

Originally dating to the Ming dynasty, the former Moksha temple was renamed Leiyin in 1884. A 4.8m Guanyin statue is housed in a much newer Guanyin Hall,…

8. Fuhu Temple

3.44 MILES

Located about 1km from Baoguo Temple, Fuhu Temple (630m) is hidden deep within the forest. It houses a 7m-high copper pagoda inscribed with Buddhist…