Buddhas and Bodhisattvas manifest in countless forms to deliver sentient beings from suffering. They often employ expedient means, such as revealing themselves in land or monument as an external condition, to plant the bodhi seed for awakening, and to lead all sentient beings to the Buddha path to attain enlightenment. Such pure lands on earth can be found in many places across China, with the most famous ones being the Four Famous Mountains of China, namely Wutai Mountain, Emei Mountain, Putuo Mountain and Jiuhua Mountain. Each mountain (“山Shan” in Chinese) has its own patron Bodhisattvas: Wutai Shan - Manjusri Bodhisattva with the virtue of great wisdom, Emei Shan - Samantabhadra Bodhisattva with the virtue of great practice, Putuo Shan - Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva with the virtue of great compassion, and Jiuhua Shan - Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva with the virtue of great vows.

The three Elder Founders of Cham Shan Temple fully understood the significant implications of these pure lands on earth and therefore, when they came to propagate Buddhism in Canada in 1973, they made a great vow to bring these four important Buddhist pure lands to Canada. The current Abbot of Cham Shan Temple, Ven. Dayi Shi, followed the Elder Masters' great conviction and vowed to bring this lifelong project of building the Four Great Sacred Buddhist Mountains in Canada to fruition, with the support of the sangha and the laity of Cham Shan Temple. This is the origin of this grand project, with 20 years of planning in the past, and 20 more years of construction in the future.

The Four Great Sacred Buddhist Mountains in Canada are situated in the scenic countryside of Peterborough County and City of Kawartha Lakes, north-east of Toronto, within a short drive from each other. Parcels of land were bought in 1990. The four sites were chosen for their serenity and harmony with the natural environment, ideal for building meditation retreat centres. As a package, these four sacred Buddhist pilgrimage sites will offer visitors and pilgrims similar experience to that in China, but at a lower cost with less travelling time, and more accessible for the physically challenged. There are four separate development plans for these four locations. The first site being developed is the Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden in Canada, located in the Township of Cavan-Monaghan, Peterborough County, accessed from Ski Hill Road, Bethany, in the City of Kawartha Lakes.

Overwhelming public recognition and support have been received from both overseas and in Canada, from the three levels of Canadian government offices, and from the various government bureaus of China, including the People's Republic of China Consulate General in Toronto. When completed, the Four Great Sacred Buddhist Mountains in Canada will be the largest single Buddhist complex built outside China, and will take its important place in North America history, as it is a bridge where “East meets West”, with a strong friendship being fostered further between China and Canada, encouraging multicultural exchange to take place, promoting Chinese culture and its ancient architectural building techniques in North America. It is also a beautiful haven where Buddhism can freely flourish for the public to embrace and for each visitor to find their own path to enlightenment.