Sacred Mountain of Emei Shan
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Breathtaking views await those who scale China‘s
sacred mountains
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150 monasteries have been built in this area over the
past 2,000 years. Most have fallen into disrepair, and
only 20 or so remain. Emei Shan is a classic example of
a sacred mountain whose natural environment is being
destroyed by development. It is the most visited of all
Buddhist mountains, being just a few hours by bus from
Chengdu in Szechuan province, and has become a major
Chinese tourist destination. The monasteries have
effectively become tourist centres, and religious life
on the mountain is constrained by the demands of the
tourism board and by the sheer numbers of visitors.
China
is currently developing a chain of Disneyland style
Buddha theme parks (‘descend through the 18 Hells by
rollercoaster’) and Emei Shan risks becoming an upmarket
version of these. Already it has cable cars to carry
less active pilgrims to the top of the mountain.
This
goes directly against the teachings about what sacred
mountains should be: the reason why they have such a
dominant role in the traditional religious life of China
is that they are symbols of the spiritual journey. The
physical effort of climbing a major mountain is a
metaphor for the discipline of the spiritual journey
through life. And breaking through the clouds to look
down on the world below brings a wonderful sense of
achievement.
ARC seeks to advise UNESCO on
management issues for Emei Shan, and with the Chinese
Buddhist Association to develop a joint proposal to
strengthen the position of the Buddhist authorities on
the mountain. But the harsh reality is that Emei Shan is
big money for the province. Will the fragile environment
survive?
Perhaps Emei Shan can learn from the
poor management of the Taoist sacred mountain, Tai Shan,
before it is too late.
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