Wannian Temple

Wainian Temple, meaning thousands of years temple in Chinese, is located in the Mount Emei. This temple is one of the major temples in Mount Emei. Built in Jin Dynasty, originally called Puxian Temple, it is very pity that in 1946 it suffered a big fire, the beautiful wood temple halls were burnt completely and only the brick palace built with bricks in Ming Dynasty left. Later in 1953 two temples were rebuilt and the brick palace was also called "Beamless Hall".

It is said that there is a kind of special small frog on the Emei Mountain in the rectangle pond at the right side inside the Wannian Temple. In quiet evening, they will release pleasant sound all the year. All who have heard the sound describe this kind of frog as "Playing Instrument Frog".

♦ Three valuable treasures in Wannian Temple
► Beamless Hall
The height of this hall is 17.12 meters. Then dome roof and the square floor make it look like a yurt. It shows an original ideal that the sky is dome and the ground is square.

► Puxian Buddha Figure
This monastery is the oldest surviving Emei Temple (reconstructed in the 9th century). It's dedicated to the man on the white elephant, the Bodhisattva Puxian, who is the protector of the mountain. This 8.5 m-high statue is dated from AD 980, cast in copper and bronze and weighs an estimated 62,000 kg. If you can manage to rub the elephant's back, good luck will be cast upon you.

The statue is housed in Brick Hall, a domed building with small stupas on it. When the temple was damaged by fire in 1945, Brick Hall was the only building left unharmed. There is also a graveyard to the rear of the temple.

► Tooth of Buddha
There is a valuable tooth of Buddha in Wannian Temple in a length of 1.28 inches and a weight about 6.5 kg. It was sent by a monk from Sri Lanka in Ming Dynasty. It is said that when Sakyamuni was re-birth in the fire, his body was turn into Buddha’s relics, while his teeth was kept well. From the scientific view, this tooth is not belonged to Sakyamuri. It is a tooth of an ancient elephant with a history more that 200,000 years.

♦ Travel Tips:
► How to Get There
    Just have a 2-minute walking from the Qingyin Pavilion
    Take the special bus line from Baoguo Temple to Wannian Temple
    You can drive to Wannian temple parking, and then go to Wannian temple by cable car. 40 yuan is for up and 30 is for down.

► Best time to Visit
In autumn there is heat of summer at the foot of the Mt. Emei even though snow has fallen on the top, but it is the best season to visit the Wannian Temple. Here red leaves are reflected in the water and when a breeze comes the leaves dance in the pond forming red waves glistening in the sunlight. So thrilling! Also in the Wannian Temple scenic region, there are mountain villages creating a peaceful and intoxicating picture.