PUTUOSHAN is a tiny island with big contrasts. It¡¯s a shrine for some and a weekend getaway for others. It can be breathtaking, relaxing or infinitely frustrating ¡ª more likely it¡¯s a combination of all three. But regardless of how you tackle Putuoshan, you¡¯re in for a worthwhile weekend escape from Shanghai¡¯s flat congested streets.

Putuoshan ¡ª Mount Putuo ¡ª is located in eastern Zhejiang Province¡¯s Zhoushan archipelago, and is one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains in China. The 12.5-square-kilometre island has gorgeous scenery. Tree-covered mountains rise above the crashing waves and its winding roads weave between beaches and rustic farmhouses perched precariously above the sea.

The main attractions are the same whether you come as a Buddhist pilgrim or a tourist. Putuoshan¡¯s numerous temples work overtime, equally accessible to worshipers and picture-snapping pleasure-seekers.

Travelling with crowds

Getting to Putuoshan is not difficult. My friends and I opted for a 12-hour, overnight ferry from the Wusong Passenger Transport Centre in Northeast Shanghai. On weekdays it leaves Shanghai around 6 pm, but makes extra trips on Friday nights for the weekend crowd. Tickets for this boat are relatively cheap, around 110 yuan (US$13.28), and are available at various tourist shops in Shanghai. A faster boat is available, but at just under 200 yuan (US$24.20), is more expensive.

The ferry isn¡¯t set up as a sight-seeing vessel, which is probably a good thing. Shanghai¡¯s ports are interesting, but mildly so. Food is available and is mainly vegetarian, though the cockroach we saw exiting the kitchen put doubts in our minds as to the wisdom of eating any of it. The cabin¡¯s beds were hard and the pillows were harder, but a decent night¡¯s sleep is possible.

The ferry pulled into Putuoshan¡¯s harbour around 8 am and all the passengers crowded into the arrival area. Almost immediately, people restrained behind guardrails started screaming hotel offers. We bought our return tickets, stepped outside, and accepted a Baibuge Hotel employee¡¯s offer of two, three-person rooms for 100 yuan (US$12.10) each. My apprehensions about how much the actual hotel would resemble the brochure proved accurate, but it was still nice. Our rooms had to have an extra mattress carted in and laid on the floor to accommodate the unfortunate third person. Since our rooms were also on the top floor, the ceiling slanted dramatically. However, we knew we had opted for the budget approach ¡ª our original bohemian plan of sleeping on the beach was scrapped because of overcast skies ¡ª but tour packages and four-star hotels do exist.

The most efficient way to get around the island is by mini-bus. Each tourist site has its own stop, and the buses line up behind signs that detail their destinations. These lots are awash with tacky tourist stalls, all selling identical merchandise. If you don¡¯t speak Chinese, be prepared for frustration. The bus drivers and staff do not speak English and will occasionally ¡ª and quite arbitrarily ¡ª admit some passengers before others. This was especially bad for us, since summertime increases tourism to Putuoshan. The island was flooded with Chinese tour groups, which made getting on the mini-buses like getting on Shanghai¡¯s metro at People¡¯s Square. The fares were cheap. Prices depend on the distance between sites, but never go over 10 yuan (US$1.21).

Sacred temples

The first temple we visited was Puji. After much arguing and annoyance, we discovered that the bus staff we thought were unhelpful were actually trying to tell us we were already there.

By far the largest of Putuoshan¡¯s temples, Puji is nestled into the base of a mountainous forest. Like most of the island¡¯s temples, the buildings¡¯ roofs were painted a dusty gold colour ¡ª like yellow incense. Puji and the other temples are constantly engulfed in a haze from their courtyards¡¯ large metallic firepits, where pilgrims burn incense and pray.

Puji¡¯s interior is impressive. Massive painted warriors grin down at visitors from the temple¡¯s sides, and sitting front and centre is an enormous golden statue. Of all the temples on the island, Puji is the most spectacular.

Our next stop, Fayu Temple, was smaller and more secluded than Puji. Unfortunately, it is immediately comparable to Puji and overshadowed. However if you have time, it¡¯s still worth seeing. A metallic miniature pagoda stands in the courtyard and you can stand and watch pilgrims throw coins in its different levels. Eventually, tourists join in and you have to run for cover.

Frustrated with the mini-buses and running low on time, we decided to walk to the Buddhist Sound Cave. The walk wasn¡¯t too long and offered gorgeous views of Putuoshan¡¯s mountains and surrounding islands.

The main cave is a small temple nestled into a crevasse overlooking the crashing waves below. Inside the temple, pilgrims and visitors can look into the ¡°cave¡±, which is actually a large fissure in the mountain. However, tourists should be warned that they might feel as if they¡¯ve intruded on a holy space. The remainder of the caves on the pre-set route aren¡¯t necessarily worth the trip, though Shancai Cave¡¯s animals are rather cute.

Before night fell, we rode the cable-car up the mountain to Huiji Temple. The trip cost 25 yuan (US$3). Round-trip tickets are twice as much and only available before 4:15 pm. The temple sits on the mountain top, but there aren¡¯t any great views. When we arrived around 5 pm, the temple was in full swing and several groups of monks were chanting. We had to walk down the opposite side of the mountain, but the view made it worthwhile.

The next morning we decided to see the huge statue of Guanyin before our boat left at 1 pm. Her statue loomed over the island from a massive pedestal-like structure made of carved stone and beneath it were several rooms of interesting wall carvings and various bronzed Buddhas.

We then jumped back on a boat and returned to Shanghai. The fast ferry is clean and comfortable, but sped us away from the peaceful temples and back to Shanghai¡¯s concrete and buildings quicker than most of us would have liked.