No matter how many visits one pays to Mount Emei, the inspiration for painters, poets and holy men over the centuries, the thrill of returning never palls.

The first time, 20 years ago, I had only a few afternoon hours to take in the splendor of this peak in southern Sichuan Province. Over 100 Buddhist temples are hidden on Emei, one of the country's four famous Buddhist mountains - the others are Putuo in Zhejiang Province, Wutai in Shanxi Province and Jiuhua in Anhui Province.

On that first occasion I managed to visit Baoguo Monastery where the tinkle of bells, the clouds of incense, the 3.5-metre-tall porcelain Buddha, and beautiful potted flowers and bonsai in the monastic complex, left a lingering impression.

On my second visit, I had three days which enabled me to scale some of its heights and take paths which trailed narrow and steep. Two days were spent ascending and one getting down. But the exhausting hike offered many chances to enjoy beautiful views of the mountain at different altitudes.

The asphalt road had not then been built to Jieyin Temple, a 6-kilometre hike to Jinding (Golden Summit) at 3,077 meters above sea level. Nor had the chairlift between Jieyin Temple and the Golden Summit.

Then it took a seasoned hiker at least four days to complete the 60-kilometre journey up and down the mountain. As a result, Mount Emei remained very much a place of pilgrimage for devout Buddhists, or those with a love of venturing into the great outdoors.

A few years on and the mountain has become a popular tourist attraction. The new road and chairlift making the Golden Summit an easy journey.

And taking the easy way I was able to see green primary forests at the foot of the mountain and the snow-covered peaks of Jinding all in the same morning.

Last month I attended a conference held near Emei, designated a World Natural and Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995.

Never having visited in spring, I seized the opportunity to explore the sacred mountain the moment the conference ended.

Monkey guardians

Setting out from a hotel near Baoguo Monastery at 9 am turned out to be a little bit late. On the minibus from the resort town at the foot of Mount Emei to the parking lot at Leidongping, I was told it would take three hours for the bus to complete the 50-kilometre climb.

It was certainly slow, but not in the least boring. All along the winding road one can see changing ecosystems and scenery.

At the foot of the mountain, the forests are of the evergreen broadleaf type. Looking down on them, a carpet of every green imaginable can be seen. From time to time, a cherry tree bedecked with white flowers and a plum tree of pink would appear, adding the lovely colors of spring to the mountain.

Gradually more and more bamboo and deciduous trees with soft green budding leaves dominate, which told the bus was already 1,000 meters above sea level.

Then the woods begin to become sparse. Huge firs, pine and cedars appear on the slopes. Between them are short rhododendron trees laden with large buds and overgrowing vines. You can imagine how beautiful the slope will be in one or two weeks time when the rhododendrons blossom.

The bus stopped at Leidongping, which is about 2,500 meters above sea level, where we stepped out into a cool but bright sunny day.

Pausing for a bowl of noodles at a restaurant, I struck out on the steep, but well-paved path leading to Jieyin Temple.

Along the path, one can see deep gullies enveloped in clouds and lofty crags and pass two or three "monkey zones," where several families of monkeys, the mountain's famous tourist attraction, often loiter.

It was just passed noon and the monkeys seemed satiated by tourists who had passed by earlier and showed little interest in late comers such as me. Instead of standing by the path and demanding the customary "toll," most of them were taking a nap in the branches of trees. Elsewhere, others were equally indifferent to the excited visitors passing by. For the initiated, Emei's primate residents have a rather belligerent reputation, especially towards travelers who fail to pay their morsel of food toll.

The climb was not difficult as the Jieyin Temple is only half an hour up the mountain. And from there I caught the chairlift to the Golden Summit.

In the afternoon, the flat mountain top was not crowded with tourists or pilgrims, contrary to my expectations. Most people, I suspect, try to reach the summit either early in the morning or in the evening and see its famed sunrise or a sunset over a sea of clouds.

Golden Summit

By the time I reached the Golden Summit Temple, I could still find some solitary spots from which to enjoy the magnificent views.

From a pavilion, I saw the snow-capped peaks of the Gongga Mountains in the northwest, rising through the clouds, as they face Mount Emei. At the Shesheng Ya (Cliff of Self-Sacrifice), I could see forests, valleys and mountain tops hundreds of meters below by grabbing hold of the iron railings and peering over.

Though I am not a Buddhist, I ritually lit three incense sticks in front of the Golden Summit Temple - after all not many temples are as close to heaven as this one.

From the traditional pilgrim summit of Mount Emei, it is now possible to take a cable car to the real summit of Wanfoding (Peak of Ten Thousand Buddhas), 3,133 meters above sea level.

But it was already 2 pm and I still wanted to walk to Jieyin Temple and then go on by minibus to Wannian Monastery. So, this time, I had to pass on going.

The descent was pleasant and for much of the time I found myself alone on the path.

Birdsong and the rustling of the wind passing through the pines accompanied me. Melting winter snows created many streams on the mountain slopes, which sparkled in the sunshine.

It was almost 3 pm before I arrived at the car park and boarded a minibus for the chairlift station beneath Wannian Temple which we reached around 4:30 pm.

I planned to go to the monastery at 1,020 meters above sea level by chairlift and then walk down to Qingyin Pavilion (The Pure Sound Pavilion).

By the time I found the chairlift was closed for maintenance, the minibus, the last of the day, had gone. My only option was to hike to Qingyin Pavilion, where I might be able to hire a local villager to take me back to town by car or motorcycle.

Wannian Temple

It meant taking the hard part of traveling on Mount Emei, the straight climb.

A local told me Wannian Temple was 3 kilometers from the station and it would take him half an hour to reach there.

But I doubled his time, in what is practically a climb.

And the 99-step stone stairway in front of the monastery seemed more like a 990-step stairway to me. When I finally reached the top, my heart was pounding and my legs quivering with the effort.

Wannian Temple, or the Temple of 10,000 Years, dates back to the 9th century and is one of the highlights of Mount Emei's historic sites.

Entering the temple I found myself surrounded by old trees and the only visitor. Inside the Brick Hall, a domed building with small stupas on it, there is a copper and bronze statue of the Bodhisattva Puxian, the protector of the mountain, on a white elephant. Tinged by the approaching sunset and set against a backdrop of forests, the statue, made in AD 980 and weighing an estimated 62,000 kilograms, looked splendid.

With night approaching, I had to hurry back to the road and begin my descent.

Alone, the unfamiliar shadows and sounds began to unnerve. Strange sounds resounded through the forests - some from insects, some from birds, some might be monkeys, the others my tight nerves.

Fortunately Qingyin Pavilion is not far from Wannian Temple and after half an hour I heard the roar of water. I recognized the sound produced by the two streams as they squeeze through rock formations near Qingyin Pavilion.

Standing in the pavilion, I saw villagers riding motorcycles along the shores of a lake into which the streams flowed. I was no longer alone, and a feeling of calm returned.

The villagers were waiting for any stragglers like me. Twenty minutes later I was back at the foot of the mountain.

It may have been a hasty trip, but it gave me some precious hours in this most spectacular of places.

(China Daily May 19, 2005)