Jiuhua Street

The Jiuhua Street Scenic Area is located within the Mount Jiuhua UNESCO Global Geopark, situated in the Huacheng Basin at an elevation of approximately 640 meters. Surrounded by verdant peaks that form a ring of mountains like a city wall, it covers an area of about 4 square kilometers. It is the core scenic area of Mount Jiuhua and a hub for pilgrims and tourists. This area has a humid subtropical monsoon climate, with an average annual temperature of 13.4°C and an average annual precipitation of 2,168 mm. The vegetation coverage rate exceeds 80%, and protected plants such as the golden larch (Pseudolarix amabilis) and the fragrant fruit tree (Emmenopterys henryi) are found here. When mist shrouds the valley, Jiuhua Street resembles a "sky street" hanging in the mountains, with ancient temples, folk houses, and shops scattered in a staggered manner, forming a unique mountain townscape.

The development of Jiuhua Street has a long history. In the fifth year of the Long'an era of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (401 CE), the Indian monk Beidu built a thatched hut at the foot of Furong Ridge, initiating Buddhist activities on Mount Jiuhua. During the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, the Silla eminent monk Jin Qiaojue came to Mount Jiuhua to practice Buddhism. Local gentry, including Zhuge Jie, built a temple for him at the foot of Huxing Mountain, which was granted the name "Huacheng Temple" by the imperial court. This temple became the founding ancestral temple of Mount Jiuhua. After Jin Qiaojue passed into nirvana, he was venerated as the incarnation ofKṣitigarbha Bodhisattva. His monk disciples built the Flesh Body Treasure Hall on Shenguang Ridge, which became a sacred site for Buddhist devotees to worship Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva. Buddhist activities flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties, with over 20 famous monasteries such as Baisui Gong (Centenary Palace), Qiyuan Temple, and Zhantan Lin (Sandalwood Forest) established one after another. Jiuhua Street, centered around Huacheng Temple, began to take shape as a town, gradually developing into a distinctive street-town integrating temples, inns, shops, and folk houses. After Mount Jiuhua opened to the public in 1979, the scenic area management authorities planned and restored Jiuhua Street, bringing it back to life.

The Jiuhua Street Scenic Area is dotted with numerous temples. The main attractions include the national key temples Huacheng Temple, Qiyuan Temple, Zhantan Lin, the Flesh Body Treasure Hall, and Baisui Gong, as well as historical relics such as the Taibai Scholar's House, Dongya Yunfang (Eastern Cliff Cloud Boat), and Tianchi (Heavenly Pool). Huacheng Temple is the founding ancestral temple of Mount Jiuhua, housing precious cultural relics such as Ming Dynasty sutras. In front of the temple are a crescent-shaped life-releasing pond and an open Huacheng Square. The 1986 TV adaptation of Journey to the West filmed scenes here. Qiyuan Temple is the largest of the four great monasteries of Mount Jiuhua. First built in the Ming Dynasty, it houses a bronze cauldron with a diameter of 73 centimeters, known as the "Thousand-Monk Stove", bearing witness to the flourishing Buddhist activities of the past. The Taibai Scholar's House was first built during the Jiaxi era of the Southern Song Dynasty (c. 1237) in memory of Li Bai's two visits to Mount Jiuhua. It was rebuilt and completed in 1991. In its courtyard stand two ancient ginkgo trees, said to have been planted by Li Bai. Jiuhua Street now has over 50 hotels, restaurants, and hostels of various types. A sightseeing bus stop is located at the street entrance, and tourist service facilities are well developed, making it the center of tourism reception and Buddhist activities on Mount Jiuhua.