Introduction

Putuo Mountain, one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains, is located in the estuary of the Qiantang River, southeast of the Zhoushan Archipelago. It is the only island both abundant with spectacular natural beauty and religious history. Putuo Mountain is one of the first national key scenic spots and also a National AAAAA level scenic resort (In China, the rating system of A to AAAAA is used to evaluate the quality of a scenic area with AAAAA the best). Having a long history of Buddhist culture and excellent island scenery, Putuo Mountain is regarded as "a Realm of Buddhism on the sea" and "a Penglai Wonderland".

Putuo Mountain is a world-famous Buddhist shrine. The history of religious activity goes back to the Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC). During the Tang Dynasty (618AD-907 AD), with the increasing development of the Maritime Silk Road, Putuo Mountain enjoyed geographical advantages and quickly became the center of Chinese Buddhism. By the end of the Qing Dynasty (1616AD-1911AD), there were three major temples, 88 convents, 128 thatched shrines and thousands of monks on Putuo Mountain. It was said that every corner was dotted with a temple and you could meet a monk at the end of each path .

Deeply affected by Buddhism culture and its splendid natural scenery, Putuo Mountain became a Buddhist Kingdom on the Sea. With temples dotting the hilly island beneath canopies of green trees, Puji Temple, Fayu Temple, and Huiji Temple are the three largest temples on Putuo Mountain.

Putuo Mountain is not only famous for its magnificent sea scenery but also for its fantastic mountainous landscape. People say that “West Lake perfectly combines the beauty of mountains and lakes, while Putuo Mountain flawlessly combines mountains and sea scenery”.