Putuoshan - a seaside Buddhist sacred place where foreign visitors gaze at statues in bemused awe

A colossal statue of Guanyin can be seen not far from Putuoshan Island.

"BUDDHIST world fairy island" is the phrase the tourist board uses to describe Putuoshan. A placard standing proud at the entrance to the tiny port boasts that Mount Putuo is the State Council's "first State important scenic spot."

And for good reason. The island offers a treasure trove of beautiful ancient temples, stunning scenery and golden windswept beaches for discovery at your leisure. Provided you can shake off the meet-and-greet brigade - locals who cling to your group like a limpet to a rock, touting various restaurants and hotels.

Putuoshan is already an established tourist destination among the Chinese. As we make immediately for the island's main attraction, Mount Putuo, we become entangled in the inevitable tour group: crowds of identical red caps bob up and down ahead of us, snaking their way up the mountain.

The musky scent of incense increases with each step toward the summit, but ear-splitting karaoke music emanating from one of the many souvenir stalls does nothing to add to the sacred atmosphere.

Passing through the backyard of Bukenqu Guanyin Yuan (Cannot Agree To Leave Guanyin Cave), sightseers get a stunning view of the temple's gardens.

A monk outside Huijichan Si.

At times it feels like "Buddhist world fairy island" lives up to this Disneyesque description. One half expects an animatronic smiling Buddha to wave you onto a magical mystery tour.

Fortunately you don't have to go far to get away from the throng. Additional to the 60 yuan ($7.24) disembarkation fee payable at the port, all sites of interest levy a surcharge. At the lookout point atop Mount Putuo the breathtaking view of hazy islands sprinkled on a chocolate milk sea is well worth the minimal 5 yuan entry, and as the plateau is too small for tour groups, one can enjoy the scene in relative tranquility.

Huijichan Si (Wisdom Benefit Temple) on the summit of Mount Putuo is perhaps the most ornate of the temples. Awash with reds and golds, it is a maze of immaculate gardens bordered by swaying lanterns.

Confusion quickly dissipates as the foreign tourist realizes that landmarks bearing "cave" in the name invariably turn out to be temples and monasteries. Standing in the courtyard of Bukenqu Guanyin Yuan (Cannot Agree To Leave Guanyin Cave), provides a stunning view of the temple's gardens which lead you down to a pagoda perched on the headland, waves breaking ferociously on the rocks. And Fanyin Dong (Sanskrit Tidings Cave) is an enchanting temple constructed between crags jutting out of the sea.

But in all the monasteries, one feels intrusive as a foreigner, observing Buddhists in their worship. The lack of any proper tourism infrastructure beyond international hotels and jade paraphernalia means that the foreign tourist is left to gaze at the statues and rituals in bemused awe.

The deficit of maps and guides translated even into pinyin, jars slightly in an area evidently so integral to China's heritage. Whilst most Westerners immediately balk at the idea of an organized tour, it becomes apparent that the tourism on Putuoshan is built up around this basic principle. For the individual sightseer with no knowledge of Chinese characters, it is near impossible to negotiate the buses that zip around the island, and a veritable minefield where dining is concerned.

Other than joining a tour, a good way to get around this problem is to find accommodation located centrally. International hotel Yin Hai lies in the shadow of Mount Putuo, with Qianbusha (Beach of a Thousand Paces) spreading before it - a cheap place to stay within walking distance of several points of interest.

Qianbusha Beach (thousand-step beach) is an attraction on Putuoshan Island.	A typical dried fish shop on Putuoshan Island.

As far as food goes, a good tip is to avoid second-rate hotel fare. Worth a try are the fish restaurants that proliferate on the island. Do not be deterred by the dubious looking outsize red washing up bowls that contain your future meal. But make sure you agree on a price before your chosen fish is cooked. One restaurant took gross advantage of our lack of Chinese and mysteriously doubled the original asking price.

Perhaps the most reliable meals to be had on the island can be found in the various restaurants that cluster round the lily pond in the heart of the town. Putuoshan Chayiguan (Putuoshan Teahouse) serves particularly good Shanghai-style dishes.

After the crazy pace of Shanghai, Putuoshan offers a welcome contrast - life on the island moves with the sun. Aside from temples and landmarks, almost of equal interest to the foreigner is the daily routine of rural life that potters on unperturbed by tourism. Women gather to wash clothes and vegetables at the local well, land is painstakingly cultivated by hand, and robes the colour of autumn leaves are always visible out of the corner of your eye as monks hug the shade, keeping a low profile.

Putuoshan's main appeal is its serenity - take the time to wander around the island and absorb the atmosphere. A worthwhile detour is to follow the misleadingly named Shancai Lu. A woodland footpath rather than a roadway, it meanders westwards along the coastline from Fanying Dong. It is pleasantly off the beaten path for guided tours, and allows a leisurely appreciation of the island's much promulgated flora and fauna. Multicolored butterflies flit amongst the orchids and passing by Shancai Dong (Wisdom and Wealth Cave), the somber song of monks in prayer carries on the wind with the crashing of the waves.

Back in the chaotic harbour, we are crammed into a holding pen to await our ferry home. A monk on a mobile phone squeezes in behind us. It seems that even a fairy island cannot escape the real world for long.