Hongchunping Temple, Buddhist temple on Mount Emei, Emeishan, Sichuan, China

Hongchunping Temple is a Buddhist sanctuary situated on Mount Emei at an elevation of around 1,100 meters (3,600 feet). The complex contains a front gate, a hall dedicated to the Four Heavenly Kings, and a main worship hall housing religious statuary.

The temple was founded in the early Ming dynasty by master Chushan Xingyi as the Thousand Buddha Chan Temple, and was largely extended in 1631 under the Chongzhen Emperor. A fire in 1778 destroyed most buildings; twelve years later master Eyun restored it and renamed it Hongchunping after three 1,200-year-old Ailanthus altissima trees. Chiang Kai-shek visited in 1936, and in 1983 it was designated a National Key Buddhist Temple in Han Chinese Area.

The central hall houses a Samantabhadra statue surrounded by eighteen Arhat figures on both sides of the walls. This arrangement reflects how visitors pause here to observe and honor these sacred images while moving through the mountain pilgrimage routes.

The temple sits along the main hiking routes of Mount Emei and functions as a natural stopping point during the climb. Dense forest surrounds the grounds, so wear sturdy footwear and watch your footing on the mountain paths.

Morning mist and rain around these grounds rank among Mount Emei's ten distinguished natural scenes. On damp mornings, the forest here creates a distinctive interplay of fog and filtered light that draws visitors to photograph the changing conditions throughout the day.