The other standout sacred site around Chengdu is Emeishan, the highest of China’s Four Sacred Mountains of Buddhism, which looms above the Dadu and Mu River confluence, 75 miles (120km) outside the city. A total of 76 Qing and Ming monasteries cluster around the three summits of this mist-shrouded massif, interconnected by a network of old stepped trails that wind through forests of twisted pines and waterfalls to the summit. A cable car also runs part of the way to the top, along with a government eco bus.

For clients wishing to undertake this memorable ascent on foot, we can provide English-speaking guides and arrange rooms in one of the hotels or guest houses that line the trekking route. It’s even possible to sleep close to the summit of Jin Ding (3,077m/10,095ft), one of Emei’s main peaks, allowing you to see the sublime spectacle of the sunrise over the clouds that form in the valley before dawn.