Tips for Visiting Jiuhua Mountain

1. As one of China’s Four Great Buddhist Mountains, Jiuhua Mountain is hailed as the “Buddhist Kingdom of Lotus Flowers” and the sacred sanctuary of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. When traveling to this holy Buddhist site, please follow local customs and respect religious beliefs. Do not speak disrespectfully inside temples. If you encounter monks on the street, let them pass first as a sign of reverence. Avoid asking monks sensitive questions such as why they became monastics or about their daily lives, as these are major taboos.
2. Jiuhua Mountain boasts numerous renowned temples scattered across the scenic area, which are top tourist attractions. Visitors must keep four taboos in mind while touring temples to avoid conflicts and unpleasantness:

   (1) Improper Address: Address monks and Taoist priests respectfully as “Master”. The abbot should be called “Abbot”. Never refer to them simply as “monk”, “clergy” or use any insulting terms.

   (2) Improper Etiquette: The standard greeting to monks is to press your palms together at chest level and bow slightly, or hold one palm upright in front of your chest with a slight nod. Avoid handshakes, hugs, or touching a monk’s head, all of which are inappropriate manners.

   (3) Inappropriate Conversation: When talking with monks, refrain from mentioning killing, marriage, or eating meat and seafood, which may offend them.

   (4) Unruly Behavior: Do not talk loudly, point and gossip, make sarcastic remarks, wander aimlessly, or tamper with temple furnishings inside shrines. Under no circumstances should you touch or carve Buddha statues. If a Buddhist ritual is underway, stand quietly and watch or leave silently. Please keep an eye on your children to prevent them from behaving rudely out of ignorance.
3. Entering Temples: Visitors should enter through the left or right side gates. Stepping over the central threshold, standing or sitting on it is seen as a grave disrespect to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
4. Worshipping Buddha: Place your palms together first. Kneel on the right mat before the Buddha statue, hold your palms upward shoulder-width apart, and bow your head to touch the mat. When lifting your head, flip your palms to rest flat on the ground, then stand up and press your palms together again.
5. Burning Incense: Devout believers will insert three incense sticks into the censer, a tradition known as “offering three joss sticks to the Buddha”. Casual visitors should also place the sticks upright; crooked incense is regarded as disrespectful to the Buddha.
6. Mountain Hiking: Avoid hard-soled leather shoes. Light sneakers, travel shoes and rubber-soled cloth shoes are recommended. Thick socks are advised to prevent blisters.

   There are two cableways on Jiuhua Mountain: the Hundred-Year Temple Cable Car and the Tiantai Cableway. It takes one hour to hike up to Hundred-Year Temple and only 30 minutes to walk down, so most tourists only take the cable car uphill. The Tiantai Scenic Area is famous for Tiantai Temple atop the peak. Hiking all the way up is extremely tiring, adding around 3.5 hours of uphill climbing compared to taking the cableway. The cable car saves time and energy, making the remaining over one thousand stone steps much easier to tackle.
7. Check prices before ordering dishes during meals to avoid unnecessary disputes.
8. Jiuhua Mountain features a subtropical humid monsoon climate with frequent rain and fog. Hotels within the scenic area have limited facilities and may be damp. We ask for your understanding.
9. Shuttle buses inside the scenic area operate like public transport. They depart once fully occupied; if not full, a bus leaves every 15 minutes.
10. Accommodation standards on Jiuhua Mountain vary greatly — some venues offer decent quality while others do not. Booking rooms online is recommended for convenience and peace of mind