Whether you believe in Buddhism or not, you can visit Mount Putuo

It has been overcast and rainy in the Zhejiang and Shanghai area. I booked a ticket to Mount Putuo for the 24th, anxiously unsure of what the weather would be like. Fortunately, I caught the only sunny day in these days. Queuing for the boat and bus was pretty smooth, and I went straight to the destination. We didn't want to take the cable car to the top of the Buddha, so we walked down the trail instead. The scenery along the way was picturesque, with clear skies and fresh air. The first attraction was the Ancient Buddha Cave. Looking down, the temple looked brand new, so why call it the Ancient Buddha Cave? Curiosity led me down into the cave in the courtyard. Inside the cave was a Buddha statue and a spring. About twenty devout followers gathered in the cave, each taking spring water from the hands of the monks. I inquired and found out that the Buddha statue was erected at the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, and later reconstructed. The cave and the spring are quite old. Continuing downhill, we arrived at Fayu Temple, one of the three major temples of Mount Putuo. This was my favorite place. The towering ancient trees framed the yellow monastery walls, deep and serene. The adjacent beach was a great place to relax and play. Between the temple and the beach, there was a grassy area like a green carpet, with a pond embedded in it, where the reflections of palm trees and goldfish swam together in the pond. If Mount Putuo is a paradise on earth, this place could be considered the paradise of Mount Putuo. I wanted to take a bus to Puji Temple, but seeing the long queue, I decided to continue walking. Puji Temple was even more crowded, with everyone holding incense and worshipping in all directions. I was worried about blocking the path between the worshippers and the Buddhas. After that, I walked to the Purple Bamboo Forest but didn't enter. The mountain gate faced the sea, offering a broad view. Not far away was the statue of the South Sea Guanyin, which was not very interesting, and the 6 yuan ticket was not worth it. After walking all the way, 7-8 kilometers, more than 30,000 steps, I was really exhausted. Personally, I think the scenery from the cable car station to the Ancient Buddha Cave is the best. The trail down from Fayu Temple barely has a view of the sea, and it's crowded, so taking a bus is a better choice. A complaint about the transportation in Mount Putuo. The day we went was a weekday, and the driver said it's almost this crowded every day, and much more so on holidays. At several major stations, there were dozens to hundreds of people, and at small stations, it was impossible to get on because the buses were already full. It's clear that there are not enough buses, or the arrangement is unreasonable.