170 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I42 



pies. On the opposite side of the Min River from Ch'ing-ch'eng- 

 shan, a 2- or 3-hours' journey from Kuanhsien, is another Buddhist 

 sacred mountain on which are several temples. We have already 

 mentioned Minya Konka and Wa Shan, and there are other sacred 

 mountains in eastern Tibet or Sikang. 



Near Ya-an is a sacred mountain on which there are several 

 Buddhist temples. It resembles Mount Omei in that each has a 

 natural cave called the Chiu-lao-tung and a precipice called the 

 Shae-shen-ai, or precipice where pilgrims sometimes leap off to sacri- 

 fice themselves. 



Wa Shan is directly south from Mount Omei and is plainly visible 

 from the Golden Summit of that mountain. It is eclipsed by Mount 

 Omei, but every year there are pilgrims to Wa Shan from the sur- 

 rounding region. Formerly there were three temples on the summit, 

 but now there are only two. 



Near the Great Omei are two other sacred mountains, Second 

 Omei and Third Omei. There are temples on their summits, to which 

 pilgrims go to worship throughout the year. West of I-pin is a 

 sacred mountain called Hsiao-omei-shan, or Little Mount Omei. On 

 it are Buddhist temples to which every year come many worshipers 

 from the Suifu district. 



South of I-pin on the Yunnan border is Chien-feng-shan, or Sharp 

 Windy Mountain, so named because it is higher than the surrounding 

 mountains and hence likely to be windy. It was formerly controlled 

 by the Taoists, now by the Buddhists. People from the surrounding 

 regions make pilgrimages to this mountain and worship in its temples. 



East of I-pin, near An-lin-ch'iao, is Fu-lai-shan, or Buddha Come 

 Mountain, so-called because of the tradition that a Buddha in one 

 of the temples flew there. Many pilgrims come to worship on this 

 tree-covered mountain, the highest in the region. 



North of Chengtu is Bai-lu-ting, or White Deer Peak, which is 

 a high sacred mountain. On its top are temples and forests. It is 

 practically surrounded by perpendicular cliffs, and from its sum- 

 mit are marvelous views. Missionaries have bungalows on the sum- 

 mit of this mountain and spend their summer vacations there. It is a 

 holy mountain to which pilgrims come to worship. 



This list is far from complete. Mountains that are strikingly beauti- 

 ful, and there are many such in West China, are likely to become 

 sacred, with temples and shrines to which pilgrims come to worship 

 their gods, seeking happiness, prosperity, and the help of the gods. 



