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Mount Wutai, also known by its Chinese name Wutaishan and as is a sacred
Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
site at the headwaters of the Qingshui in Shanxi Province,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
. Its central area is surrounded by a cluster of flat-topped peaks roughly corresponding to the
cardinal direction The four cardinal directions, or cardinal points, are the four main compass directions: north, east, south, and west, commonly denoted by their initials N, E, S, and W respectively. Relative to north, the directions east, south, and west are ...
s. The north peak (Beitai Ding or Yedou Feng) is the highest () and is also the highest point in northern China. As host to over 53 sacred monasteries, Mount Wutai is home to many of China's most important monasteries and temples. It was inscribed as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
in 2009 and named a AAAAA tourist attraction by China's
National Tourism Administration The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA; ) was a Chinese government authority responsible for the development of tourism in the country. The CNTA was subordinate to the State Council. Its headquarters are in Beijing, with regional branch ...
in 2007.


Significance

Mount Wutai is one of the Four Sacred Mountains in
Chinese Buddhism Chinese Buddhism or Han Buddhism ( zh, s=汉传佛教, t=漢傳佛教, p=Hànchuán Fójiào) is a Chinese form of Mahayana Buddhism which has shaped Chinese culture in a wide variety of areas including art, politics, literature, philosophy, ...
. Each of the mountains is viewed as the bodhimaṇḍa () of one of the four great
bodhisattva In Buddhism, a bodhisattva ( ; sa, 𑀩𑁄𑀥𑀺𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯 (Brahmī), translit=bodhisattva, label=Sanskrit) or bodhisatva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi ('awakening') or Buddhahood. In the Early Buddhist schools ...
s. Wǔtái is the home of the
Bodhisattva In Buddhism, a bodhisattva ( ; sa, 𑀩𑁄𑀥𑀺𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯 (Brahmī), translit=bodhisattva, label=Sanskrit) or bodhisatva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi ('awakening') or Buddhahood. In the Early Buddhist schools ...
of wisdom,
Mañjuśrī Mañjuśrī ( Sanskrit: मञ्जुश्री) is a ''bodhisattva'' associated with '' prajñā'' (wisdom) in Mahāyāna Buddhism. His name means "Gentle Glory" in Sanskrit. Mañjuśrī is also known by the fuller name of Mañjuśrīkumār ...
or "" () in Chinese. Mañjuśrī has been associated with Mount Wutai since ancient times. Paul Williams writes: Wutai was the first of the mountains to be identified and is often referred to as "first among the four great mountains". It was identified on the basis of a passage in the ''Avataṃsaka Sūtra'', which describes the abodes of many bodhisattvas. In this chapter, Mañjuśrī is said to reside on a "clear cold mountain" in the northeast. This served as charter for the mountain's identity and its alternate name "Clear Cool Mountain" (). The bodhisattva is believed to frequently appear on the mountain, taking the form of ordinary pilgrims, monks, or most often unusual five-colored clouds. Reflecting regional rivalries between Buddhist centers, 9th-century
Chan Buddhism Chan (; of ), from Sanskrit ''dhyāna in Buddhism, dhyāna'' (meaning "meditation" or "meditative state"), is a Chinese school of Mahayana, Mahāyāna Buddhism. It developed in China from the 6th century Common Era, CE onwards, becoming e ...
master
Linji Yixuan Linji Yixuan (; ja, 臨済義玄 ''Rinzai Gigen''; died 866 CE) was the founder of the Linji school of Chan Buddhism during Tang Dynasty China. Línjì yǔlù Information on Linji is based on the ''Línjì yǔlù'' (臨濟語錄; Japanese ...
criticized the prominence of Wutai in
Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
China. According to the posthumously compiled ''Línjì yǔlù'', Linji Yixuan once said, “There‘s a bunch of students who seek Mañjuśrī on Mount Wutai. Wrong from the start! There‘s no Mañjuśrī on Mount Wutai.“ His campaign was however not successful, and even after the Tang era Mount Wutai “continued to thrive as perhaps the single most famous Buddhist sacred site in China.” Mount Wutai has an enduring relationship with
Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...
. Mount Wutai is home to some of the oldest wooden buildings in China that have survived since the era of the
Tang Dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
(618–907). This includes the main hall of
Nanchan Temple Nanchan Temple () is a Buddhist temple located near the town of Doucun on Wutaishan, Shanxi Province, China. Nanchan Temple was built in 782 during China's Tang dynasty, and its Great Buddha Hall is currently China's oldest preserved timber buil ...
and the East Hall of Foguang Temple, built in 782 and 857, respectively. They were discovered in 1937 and 1938 by a team of architectural historians including the prominent early 20th-century historian Liang Sicheng. The architectural designs of these buildings have since been studied by leading sinologists and experts in traditional Chinese architecture, such as Nancy Steinhardt. Steinhardt classified these buildings according to the hall types featured in the '' Yingzao Fashi'' Chinese building manual written in the 12th century. In 2008, there were complaints from local residents that, in preparation for Mount Wutai's bid to become a
UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
, they were forced from their homes and relocated away from their livelihoods.


Major temples

Nanchan Temple () is a large temple in Mount Wǔtái, first built in the
Yuan Dynasty The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fif ...
. The whole temple comprises seven terraces, divided into three parts. The lower three terraces are named
Jile Temple Jile Temple () of Harbin, China, is the biggest Buddhist building complex in Heilongjiang Heilongjiang () formerly romanized as Heilungkiang, is a province in northeast China. The standard one-character abbreviation for the province is (). ...
(); the middle terrace is called Shande Hall (); the upper three terraces are named Youguo Temple (). Other major temples include
Xiantong Temple The Xiantong Temple () is a Buddhist temple located in Taihuai Town of Wutai County, Shanxi, China. The temple covers a total area of about , it preserves the basic architectural pattern of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368–1912). The temp ...
,
Tayuan Temple Tayuan Temple () is located in the central area of Taihuai town in Mount Wutai, Shanxi Province, China. Tayuan Temple was originally a stupa of Xiantong Temple. The stupa, named the Great White Pagoda, was constructed in the 6th year of of t ...
and Pusading Temple. Other important temples inside Mount Wutai include Shouning Temple, Bishan Temple, Puhua Temple, Dailuo Ding, Qixian Temple, Shifang Tang, Shuxiang Temple, Guangzong Temple,
Youguo Temple Youguo Temple () is a Buddhism, Buddhist monastery complex located northeast of Kaifeng, in Henan province, China. It was built during the Song dynasty (960–1279 CE). The design features the Iron Pagoda towering in the center of the complex, in a ...
, Guanyin Dong, Longhua Temple, Luomuhou Temple, Jinge Temple, Zhanshan Temple, Wanfo Ge, Guanhai Temple, Zhulin Temple, Jifu Temple, and Gufo Temple. Outer Mount Wutai temples include
Yanqing Temple Yanqing Temple () is a Buddhist temple located to the west of Wutai County Wutai County () is a county under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Xinzhou, in the northeast of Shanxi Province, China, bordering Hebei province to th ...
,
Nanchan Temple Nanchan Temple () is a Buddhist temple located near the town of Doucun on Wutaishan, Shanxi Province, China. Nanchan Temple was built in 782 during China's Tang dynasty, and its Great Buddha Hall is currently China's oldest preserved timber buil ...
, Mimi Temple, Foguang Temple, Yanshan Temple, Zunsheng Temple, and Guangji Temple. A giant statue of Maha Manjushree was presented to the Buddhists of China by foreign minister of Nepal Ramesh Nath Pandey in 2005.


Transportation

The Wutaishan Airport in nearby Dingxiang County opened in December 2015.


Climate

Mount Wutai has a
subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of an ocean, g ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
''Dwc''). The average annual temperature in Haidian is . The average annual rainfall is with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July, at around , and lowest in January, at around .


Gallery

Image:Xiantong Temple2.JPG, The Xiantong Temple, a major temple at Mount Wutai Image:五台山-大文殊殿.JPG, A palace hall at Mount Wutai Image:Dailuoding Temple5.JPG, The Dailuoding Temple Image:Lingfeng Temple Pagoda4.JPG, The Lingfeng Temple pagoda Image:Great White Pagoda2.JPG, The Sarira Stupa of Tayuan Temple, built in 1582 during the
Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
File:Zunsheng Temple 11.JPG, View of the Zunsheng Temple File:Qifo Temple7.JPG, Qifo Temple File:Yuanzhao Temple2.JPG, Yuanzhao Temple Image:Mogao Cave 61, painting of Mount Wutai monasteries.jpg, 10th century mural of Mount Wutai. From Cave 61 of Mogao Caves in Dunhuang Image:Wutaishan 1846.jpg, 1846,
Qing Dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
map of Mount Wutai


See also

* List of AAAAA-rated tourist attractions of the People's Republic of China


References


Further reading

*''China's Holy Mountain: An Illustrated Journey into the Heart of Buddhism'' by Christoph Baumer. I.B. Tauris, London 2011. . * *http://www.thlib.org/collections/texts/jiats/#!jiats=/06/elverskog/b2/


External links

* International Network of Geoparks * List of Geoparks
Photos from inside the temples at WuTaiShan
{{authority control AAAAA-rated tourist attractions Geoparks in China Highest points of Chinese provinces Wutai National parks of China Wutai Tourist attractions in Shanxi World Heritage Sites in China Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Shanxi Buddhist sites in China Mañjuśrī Tibetan Buddhist places Wutai