Overview

Chizhou city is located in the southwest part of Anhui province of China, neighboring with vast Yangtze River in the north and magnificent Yellow Mountain in the south. It is the important port city along river and the provincial cultural and historical famous city at the south bank of Yangtze River. It is also an important part of “Two mountains and one lake” tourist area (Yellow Mountain, Jiuhua Mountain, Taiping Lake) of Anhui. It has a total area of 8272 square meters and a population of 1,540,000. The city possesses a good ecological environment with economy harmoniously developing with population and environment. It is the first national model area of ecology and economy in China.

Chizhou has a long history with traditional Buddhist culture. Jiuhua Mountain, which is called “the first mountain in the southeast”, is reputed as “Lotus Buddhist Country”. It is the site for Buddhist worships for Ksitigarbha idol and one of the four well-known Buddhist mountains in China. The Buddhism of Jiuhua Mountain was initiated in Jin dynasty and flourished in the middle age of Tang and blossomed in Ming and Qing. At present, there are nearly 100 temples, both large and small, nine of which are of national key protection. What is worth mentioning, since Tang dynasty, 15 monks have cultivated immortality, which is said to be one great mystery in Buddhist history of both home and overseas.