Mount Putuo, originally named "Little White Flower," is known in Sanskrit as "Potalaka," with various transliterations such as Butuoluojia, Butuoluojia, Butaluojia, and Butuoluojia, all derived from Sanskrit. The mountain is located in the sea southeast of Dinghai, Zhejiang, approximately a hundred miles east of the county seat. Its boundaries extend east to Qinggulei, west to Fengdongzui, south to Duangu Daotou, and north to Fulong Mountain, winding around for about a hundred miles.

Before the Tang Dynasty, it was said to be a retreat for Mei Zizhen and Ge Zhichuan. It is also recorded that during the Dazhong era of Emperor Xuanzong, an Indian monk came, burned all ten of his fingers in a cave, personally witnessed Guanyin, received profound teachings, and was bestowed with a seven-colored gemstone. The establishment of the "Unwilling to Leave Monastery" in the second year of the Zhenming era of the Later Liang Dynasty (916) marked the beginning of its religious foundation. In the third year of the Yuanfeng era of Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty (1080), the imperial decree to build Baotuo Temple led to the flourishing of incense offerings. In the first year of the Shaoxing era of Emperor Gaozong (1131), Zhenxie established a solitary coastal retreat, shifting from monastic rules to Chan practice. Subsequently, through the efforts of eminent monks during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, temples flourished, making it a sacred site of Chinese Buddhism. Together with Mount Emei, Mount Wutai, and Mount Jiuhua, it is known as one of the Four Great Sacred Mountains, often called the "Buddhist Kingdom on the Sea," serving as the sacred site of Guanyin Bodhisattva. In terms of reputation, it far surpasses other mountains.

The three main temples on the mountain are: Puji Chan Temple, traditionally said to be the site of the Liang Dynasty's "Unwilling to Leave Guanyin Monastery"; Fayu Chan Temple, originally built as the "Haichao Nunnery" by the monk Dazhi from Macheng in the eighth year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1580); and Huiji Chan Temple, initially established as the "Huiji Nunnery" by the Ming Dynasty monk Yuanhui. In addition, there are nearly a hundred other monasteries and countless nunneries, truly deserving the title of "Buddhist Kingdom."

Historical records of Mount Putuo include the *Potalaka Mountain Chronicle* by Sheng Ximing of Kucha during the Yuan Dynasty, which survives in one volume. During the Ming Dynasty, Hou Jigao compiled the first mountain chronicle, but it was not widely circulated. By the Wanli era, Zhou Yingbin revised it because Hou's version focused more on the mountain and less on the temples. Zhou's revised version, divided into six volumes and twelve sections, includes Imperial Edicts, Illustrations, Landscapes, Temples, Regulations, Constructions, Miracles, Imperial Gifts, Envoys, Monks, Local Products, and Literary Works. The Imperial Edicts section contains four decrees and two imperial prefaces, all written by Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty during the Wanli era. The compilation is rigorous and comprehensive, with some content not found in later chronicles. This chronicle was printed during the Wanli era but was not widely circulated. When Wang Hengyan compiled a new chronicle in the twelfth year of the Republic of China (1923), he was unable to access it. The current version is a facsimile of the original print from the thirty-fifth year of the Wanli era (1607), commissioned by the eunuch Zhang Sui, held by the National Central Library on behalf of the Beiping Library.