Buddhism was introduced into China from India around 1 A.D. and into Mountain Emei during the Wei & the Jin Dynasty. From that point on, many Taoist temples were transformed into Buddhist temples. Following the Tang and the Song Dynasty, Buddhism became quite popular on Mountain Emei, and more Buddhist temples were built. During the Ming and the Qing Dynasty, Buddhism reached its high peak of temples with 170. Today, there are 260 monks on Mountain Emei, and 20,000 Buddhists in Emei City.
Under the state policy of “Freedom of Religious Belief”, monks of Mountain Emei live their lives as they wish. They read Buddhist doctrines daily, participate in some Buddhist activities and hold Buddhist rites. The Emei Buddhist organization keeps a relationship with overseas Buddhists. Recently, many overseas people have come to Mountain Emei for worship, research, and the exchange of Buddhist culture. Mountain Emei has more than 1,000,000 such pilgrims every year. The good relationship between the Mountain Emei temples and the overseas countries enhances the communication and further develops the Buddhist culture.
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