Mount Putuo

Mount Putuo, on Putuoshan Island in the Zhoushan Archipelago, is one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains of China and the principal pilgrimage site dedicated to Guanyin, the bodhisattva of compassion. Visitors arrive by ferry, since the island has no bridge connection to the mainland, and spend their time moving between three main monasteries: Puji Temple near the ferry pier, the largest and oldest on the island; Fayu Temple, set higher on the hillside with a dragon-carved stone stairway; and Huiji Temple at the summit of Mount Foding, reached by cable car or a steep hiking trail. The island's most photographed landmark is the 33-meter bronze statue of Guanyin standing on the southernmost point, Nanhai Guanyin, facing out over the East China Sea. Because the full circuit of temples, the summit, and the beaches takes more than a single day, most visitors stay overnight on the island, which also allows time to see the temples at dawn before day-trip ferry crowds arrive from Ningbo and Shenjiamen. The Guanyin pilgrimage festival dates draw the heaviest crowds of the year, when the island's population multiplies with devotees; visiting on ordinary weekdays outside these dates gives a far calmer experience of the incense-filled temple courtyards. Beaches on the island's eastern side, such as Baibu Sha, offer a quieter contrast to the temple circuit for those staying multiple nights.