Emeishan
/ˌɛ.meɪˈʃɑːn/noun
Emeishan is a mountain and city in Sichuan, China, especially known as one of Chinese Buddhism’s Four Sacred Mountains.
Did you know?Emeishan is traditionally associated with Samantabhadra, a major Buddhist bodhisattva, and its summit temples became destinations for pilgrimage, meditation, and alleged miraculous visions.
Etymological Timeline
Early Chinese usage
Chinese
峨眉
“A name describing the mountain’s form as resembling high or elegant eyebrows.”
Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese
山
“Mountain; the character denotes a raised landform.”
Medieval China
Chinese
峨眉山
“Emei Mountain, the full Chinese name combining the descriptive name with the word for mountain.”
Ming–Qing periods
Chinese
峨眉山
“A major Buddhist pilgrimage site associated especially with the bodhisattva Samantabhadra.”
Modern English
English
Emeishan
“The established pinyin form used in English for the mountain and the nearby city in Sichuan.”
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