This Ningbo 3-day Tour will get you a comprehensive sightseeing of Mt. Putuo, including its attractive sceneries and its profound Buddhism culture.
Puji Monastery, located at the center of the island, is the most accessible and famous monastery on Putuoshan in Ningbo. It costs ￥5 to enter. Nearby are are hotels, restaurants and interesting shops. A public ritual performed by the monks runs from 4:30AM to 7AM. It is crowded at this time, so unless you are interested in the ceremony, it best to visit the temple outside these hours.
Puji Temple is a Buddhist temple located on the island of Putuoshan in Zhejiang province, China.The temple is now a tourist attraction as the island is significant in Chinese Buddhism. In January 2004, entry tickets to the temple cost five yuan per person.
A small hill nearby Putuo Temple in Ningbo, it was where the 20-meter statue of Guan Yin stands on. The rocks on the mountain are purple in color and many people plant purple bamboo on it, hence the name. On the hill there was a small monastery named Bu Ken Qu Guan Yin Yuan (Unwilling-to-go Guanyin Monastery). Its name comes from a ancient legend. A Japanese monk got a statue of Guanyin from Mt. Wutai, and wanted to take it to Japan. But he met a storm when he arrived at Zi Zhu Lin. He assumed that it was the hint that Guanyin wouldn’t like to go to Japan with him. So he built a monastery on the hill and named Unwilling-to-go Guanyin Monastery.
Guanyin of the South Sea was built on the southeast shores of Putuoshan in Ningbo, limestone, marble and gold in 1998. It is a statue of Guanyin standing on a lotus throne. The statue of Guanyin is 20 meters high and together with the supporting base it reaches a height of 33 meters. The height of 33 meters could represent the 33 bodies of Guanyin or the 33 layers that the sky has in Buddhist doctrine. Since the completion of this imposing statue, it has been visited and worshipped by millions of pilgrims annually. The statue itself is a great piece of art, visable by boat far from the island. Today, the statue has become one of Putuoshans most symbolic sights. Guanyin of the South Sea protects the fishermen and aids them to the the harbor. She is holding a helm in her left hand, symbolising her alliance with the fishermen. The hand upraised with palm forward, signifies protection and the assuagement of fears.
Legend has it that Guanyin was born on February 19th of the lunar calendar, achieved enlightenment on June 19th and achieved nirvana on September 19th. On such dates, pilgrims from all over the country and foreign countries congregate at Putuoshan to pay homage to the Goddess. Her anniversary (the opening of the statue) is celebrated on the 26th of October.
Huiji Monastery is located near the top of Fodingshan in Ningbo.More active visitors and pilgrims take the concrete steps from near Fayu Temple. It takes about 1 hour to climb the mountain. If your interest is old military installations, turn right soon after the start of this stair ascent up a smaller set of stone steps. After 10-15 minutes, this continues through a series of anti-ship and anti-aircraft gun emplacements with gunner accommodation and ammunition stowage built into the cliffs. Everything is in very good condition, there is no impediment to access, and looks like the PLA continues to take an interest. Also being off the beaten path, there is a complete absence of other visitors. You can then continue to the summit of Fodingshan on earthen paths, using common sense navigation because nothing is signposted in this area.
Fayu Temple is the second largest temple in Mount Putuo, and a national key buddhist temple in Han area designated by the State Council. Ming Wanli 8th year (1580), a monk of Macheng, named Dazhi (Zhenrong), came from west Sichuan to Mount Putuo for training. He was attracted by the local scenery and built a small sanctuary named “Ocean Tide”, meaning “Buddhist Ocean Guanyin”.