Gold Buddha Mountain, Nanchuan

Gold Buddha Mountain, Nanchuan

(金佛山 jīn fó shān)

Nanchuan Jinfo Mountain, which literally means "Gold Buddha Mountain," is a popular tourist resort in Nanchuan district, southwest China's Chongqing municipality. The name comes from its image of a giant Buddha shining with boundless golden light, especially when bathed in sunshine.

Gold Buddha Mountain covers an area of 1,300 square kilometers and consists of 108 peaks, including Jinfo, Qingba and Baizhisan, with the highest climbing to 2,238 meters. The special geographical location and climatic conditions formed in ancient times helped this place maintain its primitive environment that features Karst landform, wildlife diversity and Buddhist relics.

With a green coverage of over 95 percent, the number of negative oxygen icons per cubic centimeter is about 100,000, 200 times that of downtown Chongqing. Gold Buddha Mountain is also famous for its variety of azaleas. From mid-April to May, over 500,000 white, red, purple and pink azaleas form a colorful sea of blossoms.

Gold Buddha Mountain has been honored with many titles: National Forest Park, National Nature Reserve, National Natural Heritage, National Science Education Base and National 5A-Level Scenic Area. It was added along with three other karst landforms to the UNESCO World Heritage list in June 2014, at the 35th World Heritage Convention in Doha, Qatar.

Scenic Spot Level: AAAAA (top level)

Address: Nancheng road, Nanchuan district, Chongqing

Opening Hours: 8:00 am-5:30 pm

Ticket Price: 150 yuan ($22)

Notes:

1. The average temperature is 20 degrees, making it a perfect place for a summer escape.

2. There is also a natural hot spring, which contains rich minerals and traditional Chinese herbs for spa treatments.

3. Recreation vehicle camping and tent camping also are popular activities at Gold Buddha Mountain. You may bring your own tents to stay overnight as it will take at least a whole day for a full visit.