Putuoshan Scenic Area (located in Putuo District, Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province) is one of China's four sacred Buddhist mountains, renowned for its worship of Guanyin Bodhisattva. It is a national 5A-level tourist attraction. Putuoshan Scenic Area is permitted.
1. Landmark of the Buddhist Kingdom by the Sea
33m Standing Guanyin Statue: Cast in imitation gold bronze, with her left hand holding a Dharma wheel and her right hand in the Abhaya Mudra (gesture of fearlessness), facing the sea, it is the most striking visual symbol of Putuoshan.
The Unwilling-to-Leave Guanyin Temple: Originally built in the Tang Dynasty, it is the site of the legend of a Japanese monk leaving his image and building the temple. Together with the Purple Bamboo Forest and Chaoyin Cave, it forms the cultural origin of the "Guanyin Refuses to Leave" story.
2. Three Ancient Temple Clusters
Puji Temple: The main temple on the mountain, its 8.8m seated Vairocana Guanyin statue in the Yuantong Hall is the most popular; the Haiyin Pond in front of the temple is covered with lotus in summer and snow in winter, and the Yongshou Bridge features 40 stone lions in various poses. Fayu Temple: A nine-tiered temple built into the mountainside, with the Nine Dragons Hall featuring a Ming Dynasty glazed tile roof. The Imperial Stele Hall and Jade Buddha Hall cascade down the mountainside, interspersed with ancient ginkgo and dragon-phoenix cypress trees.
Huiji Temple: Located atop Foding Mountain, it requires a cable car or 1088 stone steps to reach the top. Behind the temple, the "Carpinus" is a national second-class protected rare tree species, offering a 360° panoramic view of the archipelago.
3. Beaches and Unique Rocks
Qianbu Beach: The longest beach on the island, with an arc length of 1750 m. The sand is fine and the slope gentle. Sunrise over the sea is visible in the morning, and the evening displays a "golden sunset over the sand." The "Listening to the Tide Stone" on the west side produces a thunderous sound at high tide.
Baibu Beach: With clearer water, it's open for bathing in the summer and has complete facilities, making it ideal for seaside activities. More than twenty uniquely shaped sea-eroded rocks, including Pantuo Rock, Two Turtles Listening to the Dharma Rock, and the Sea-Sky Buddhist Kingdom Rock, are scattered throughout the mountain, forming a spectacular "mountain-sea-reef" landscape together with Chaoyin Cave and Fanyin Cave.
Putuoshan blends the religious atmosphere of a "Guanyin Bodhisattva's sacred site," the magnificent seascape of the East China Sea archipelago, and the secluded depths of subtropical forests, making it a rare island-type Buddhist holy site in China that offers a four-fold experience of "pilgrimage—sea view—forest appreciation—sand play."