James Baquet

    jamesbaquet@gmail.com

    LEAVING Zhantanlin, I made my way to Baisui Palace, the One Hundred Year Palace, another ridge-top temple. (Thank goodness for another cable car!)

    Along the easy 180-meter path from the cable car to the temple, I passed a small, lovely temple; a spring; and a half-moon pond situated on the mountainside fed by the spring.

    Like many temples on rough ground, Baisui Palace has an irregular layout, with its halls spread along the ridge like pearls on a necklace. The first one encountered has yet another of the gold-covered mummies for which Jiuhua Mountain is famous.

    Wuxia was a monk born in the 16th century. After visiting Emei Mountain and Wutai Mountain (other key Buddhist mountains), he settled on Jiuhua Mountain, living an ascetic life and living on local plants gathered from the mountain.

    When he died in 1623 — at age 110 or 126, depending on the source — his body was placed in what was then a nunnery. The body remained uncorrupted, and when Emperor Chongzhen heard of this, he had it covered in gold and had the temple renamed “One Hundred Year Palace” in honor of the monk’s longevity.

    After visiting the halls and reverencing the monk’s body, I went to the 500 Arhats’ Hall, and then rested behind the temple for a few minutes to view the profile of the Sleeping Buddha formed by another ridge. As I sat, a large monkey approached — and tried to grab my bag! But it was too heavy for him, and I scared him away. That was my cue to take the bag and head for my next destination, as this was to be a three-temple day.