Mount Emei is one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains of China, a 3,099-metre ridge where temples have stood since the first century. The summit statue of Samantabhadra on his six-tusked elephants, gleaming above a sea of cloud, is one of the great images of western China.
Most visitors bus-and-cable to the Golden Summit in a long day; hikers can take two days up the old pilgrim staircases, sleeping in monasteries along the way. Either way, watch your snacks — the mountain’s Tibetan macaques are organised, experienced and completely unafraid of you.