Jizu Mountain is one of the Buddhist Holy Lands in southwest China. It is said that Wiseman Jiaye, the eldest disciple of Sakyamuni, had once stayed here. Its main peak, Tianzhu Peak, is as high as 3240 meters. The most famous sights here include the gatherings on the Lingshan Mountain, Zhusheng Temple, Huideng Temple and Jingding Temple. Climb up the Mountain, you can enjoy the "Four Wonders on Jizu Mountain": the sunrise, colourful clouds, Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake, and Yulong Mountain (the Western Mountain).
The mountain used to have many Taoist and Buddhist temples, but many were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. It is one of China s famous Buddhist and Taoist mountains. The area isn t touristy, but Buddhists come here to worship. And the high peaks have paths that are strenuous to climb, but you ll find some solitude. There are accommodations at the peak itself and halfway up the mountain. Jinding (Gold Peak) monastery where Lengyan Pagoda is located has rooms for accommodation for hikers.
Tips:
1) there are minicars in the county town of Bingzhou to Jizu Mountain. The price is 10 yuan per person.
2) climbing up to the mountain top is one of the hardest experiences of touring Jizu Mountain. If you are not strong enough, you can take the cable cars at Huideng Temple. The cable cars will take you straight to the Jingding Temple. That will cost you 21 yuan per person for one way.
3) you can find accommodation in Zhusheng Temple, Huideng Temple and Jingding Temple. The price is 10-20 yuan per person.
Getting There
The straight line distance between the modern Dali on the southern shore of Erhai Lake to Jizu Mountain (Jizushan in Chinese) is only about 45 kilometers. But the driving distance around the lake and up a valley is about 100 kilometers to the town of Binchuan in a valley below the mountain. The trip to Binchuan from Dali takes about two hours. From there to the Huideng Temple is about another 30 kilometers, and buses and vans are available. There are horses, a walking path, and a cable car from there to Lengyan Pagoda.