Wuhu - Mountain of the Nine Blossoms (Mount Jiuhuashan) 
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The Mountain of the Nine Blossoms, 150km/93mi southwest of Wuhu, is one of the Four Holy Mountains revered by Chinese Buddhists (the other three being Mounts Putuoshan in Zheijang province, Emeishan in Sichuan province and Wutaishan in Shanxi province. Its highest point is the Peak of The Ten Kings (Shiwang Feng), which is 1431m (4696ft).
The mountain's name comes from a poem written by the Tang poet Li Bai, who compared the nine most beautiful peaks to lotus blossoms. However, its fame goes back much further than that. Large numbers of monasteries were built here in the Eastern Jin period (317-420); there were some 300 in existence in the 17th C, providing accommodation for more than 5000 monks. 56 such sacred buildings still remain and house over 1300 old documents, including seals, letters, calligraphy samples, paintings and Buddhist scripts. Particularly valuable are some palm-leaves from India on which texts from the Sutra were carved 1000 years ago.
The mountain's name comes from a poem written by the Tang poet Li Bai, who compared the nine most beautiful peaks to lotus blossoms. However, its fame goes back much further than that. Large numbers of monasteries were built here in the Eastern Jin period (317-420); there were some 300 in existence in the 17th C, providing accommodation for more than 5000 monks. 56 such sacred buildings still remain and house over 1300 old documents, including seals, letters, calligraphy samples, paintings and Buddhist scripts. Particularly valuable are some palm-leaves from India on which texts from the Sutra were carved 1000 years ago.
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