Mt Jia Hua, China

Mount Jiuhua is one of the four sacred mountains of Chinese Buddhism. It is located in Qingyang County in Anhui province and is famous for its rich landscape and ancient temples. Jiuhua Mountain stands at 1342 meters, and is renowned as "the most picturesque mountain in the southeast China." The area is full of "ridges and peaks, exotic-shaped stones, gushing fountains, roaring waterfalls, and clear streams."

Mount Jiuhua is associated with the Dizang Bodhisattva. During the Buddhist golden era in China, more than 200 temples graced the slopes of this mountain. However, there are currently only 50 temples remaining. Of the remaining temples "Huacheng Temple" is the oldest but the Wannian Temple contains the "Corporeal Body Hall" where the mummified remains of Monk Wu Xia, wearing a "lotus-flower-shaped crown and a vermilion kasaya," is still well preserved after more than 350 years.

Things to See & Do

* Baisuigong Monastery
* Zhuhai - the sea of bamboo outside the village of Minyuan (on the path to Tiantai Peak)
* Huacheng Temple
* Guoqing Temple

General information

Cruise Season – Jan - Dec
Currency – New Taiwan dollar (NT$) (TWD)
Language – Taiwanese
Population –280,000 approx (Qingyang County)
Land Area – 1,181 km² (Qingyang County)
Electricity – 2 perpendicular flat pins USA style or with a round pin below
Time - GMT plus eight hours
International Country Telephone Code – + 886

Travel Links – You can arrive by train to Tongling or Chizhou. There are coach buses directly to Mount Jiuhua.

Important Visa Information
Australian and New Zealand passport holders staying on board or going ashore to visit any Chinese ports are required to obtain a single-entry Chinese visa (3 month validity) prior to travel. We recommend you include a copy of your itinerary with your application and confirm the expiration of the visa at the time of issue to ensure that it is valid for your stay in China. Visas cannot be issued upon the ship’s arrival. Please note that any passengers not in possession of a Chinese visa may be denied boarding or incur a fine.