Heart Character Stone

Heart Character Stone

The Heart Character Stone is located below the West Heavenly Gate, spanning an area of over 300 square meters. It is round, smooth, and bears a massive carved Chinese character “心” (heart), which is 5 meters long, 7 meters wide, and nearly 50 meters in circumference. The central dot of the character can accommodate eight or nine people sitting together, while the entire character can host nearly a hundred people in meditation. Truly “magnanimous in spirit,” it is the largest carved inscription on Mount Putuo. Legend has it that the Bodhisattva Guanyin once preached the “Heart Sutra” on this stone. In Buddhism, cultivating the mind is paramount. Visitors to Mount Putuo often come to the Heart Character Stone—either walking around it and touching it or sitting inside the heart shape to take photos—as a symbol of devotion to the Buddha or of human friendship.

A poem titled “Heart Character Stone” reads: “A scenic marvel on sea and mountain lies west of the gate; / The glowing red heart-shaped character shines so great. / Perform good deeds for all beings time and again, / For the compassionate mind is the Buddha, boundless and plain.” About five meters above and to the right of the Heart Character Stone, nestled within a valley and partially hidden among grass and brambles, there is a protruding rock resembling a snake’s head. Not far from this rock, on the western side of the West Heavenly Gate, stands another rock shaped strikingly like a heron, standing upright and gazing calmly toward the serpent. Legend says that a python spirit attained enlightenment after being guided by the Bodhisattva Guanyin. One day, Guanyin placed a heron on the snake’s back to test its heart—but the python remained utterly still, showing no intention of harming the bird... This is the origin of the tale “The Buddha Tests the Snake’s Heart.” Later, someone carved a large “心” (heart) character on a flat, massive rock at the lower right corner of the snake figure—a brilliant touch that adds layers of meaning to the story.

Address: Below the West Heavenly Gate, Mount Putuo, Putuo District, Zhoushan City

Type: Geological Landform

Recommended Visit Duration: 10–20 minutes

Opening Hours:

8:00-18:00

Ticket Information:

No separate ticket required. Included in the general admission ticket for Mount Putuo Scenic Area.

Transportation

Transportation on Mount Putuo

There are two dedicated tourist bus lines connecting most major attractions on Mount Putuo.

Line 1: Putuo Temple East (Bai Bu Sha) – Bai Bu Pavilion – Purple Bamboo Forest (Outdoor Statue of Guanyin of the South Sea) – Enter Samadhi (Nan Tian Men) – Ferry Terminal – Haifang New Village (West Mountain New Village Zone 1) – Seafood Park (West Mountain New Village Zone 2) – Baotuo Hotel – Putuo Temple West (West Mountain Scenic Area Entrance)

Line 2: Ferry Terminal – Enter Samadhi (Nan Tian Men) – Purple Bamboo Forest (Outdoor Statue of Guanyin of the South Sea) – Bai Bu Pavilion – Putuo Temple East (Bai Bu Sha) – Immortal’s Well (Chaoyang Cave) – Mahayana Nunnery – Fayu Temple (Thousand Step Beach) – Feisha’ao – Xianghui Nunnery – Fanyin Cave – Baoyue Nunnery – Ancient Buddha Cave – Cable Car Station

In addition to the two dedicated tourist bus lines, there are also point-to-point shuttle buses between major scenic areas on Mount Putuo. Staff dispatch vehicles via walkie-talkies based on passenger flow.

How to Get to the Heart Character Stone

Take Bus Line 1 and get off at the Xitian Ferry Terminal terminal stop; or take Bus Line 2, get off at Bai Bu Sha, and walk for 10 minutes to reach the site.