James Baquet

    WHEN I left the area of the Nanhai Guanyin, I walked up to the parking lot in front of Puji Temple, which is a hub for the island’s shuttle buses. One nice thing about Putuo Mountain is there are no private vehicles or taxis, only work-related vehicles and shuttle buses.

    From the parking lot, I took a bus to the north end of the island and got off at the lower station for the cable car. Across the way, on the north side, a large temple was being built, probably finished by now.

    I took the cable car to the top of Foding (Buddha Peak) Hill, one of the island’s highest points. Huiji Temple, Putuo Mountain’s third-largest, was built here first as a pagoda. In 1793, it was expanded into a larger complex, not unlike the one we see today.

    Perhaps translated “The Temple of Aiding Wisdom,” Huiji Temple is today the only temple on the island that has the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, as its main figure. The rest have Guanyin, Bodhisattva of Compassion, on the main altar.

    Leaving Huiji Temple, I walked the 1,000 steps down Xiangyun (Fragrant Cloud) Road, past numerous rocks with carved inscriptions, and past the Xiangyun Pavilion where friendly monks often hang out to chat with visitors.

    I turned into the back gate of Fayu Temple, where several people tried to turn me back. Later I discovered why: there’s a fee to be paid at the front gate. After a quick walk-through, I paid the fee, and took a bus back to the Puji Temple area. I would return to Fayu for a closer look the next afternoon, my final day on Putuo Mountain.