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Mount Jiuhua

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Jiuhuashan

Jiuhuashan (also called "Mount Jiuhua") is one amongst the four holiest mountains of China associated with Buddhism. The name means 'The mountain of the nine lotuses'. It is located in Qingyang County in Anhui province and famous for its rich landscape and ancient temples, so is thus called "No. 1 Mountain in Southeast China."

The mountain has shrines and temples dedicated to the Ksitigarbha, who is the Bodhisattva of the hell realms according to Mahayana Buddhist tradition. Pious Buddhists often come to this popular attraction in Anhui to climb to Tian Tai Peak (Heavely Terrace), which is regarded as Jiuhuashan's main peak, although it is not the tallest. Tian Tai is the place Korean monk Kim Kiao Kak (Jin Qiaojue) believed to the the avatar of the Bodhisattva, and as a result he established Buddhism's dominance on Jiuhuashan. A temple called the Heavenly Terrace Temple (Tiantai si) or Dizang Temple (Dizang si)was built at the top of Tian Tai to commemorate him. Today, that area is the most popular part of Jiuhuashan, with many dedicated Buddhists climbing up to visit the temple.