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 gra ...
site at the headwaters of the
Qingshui in
Shanxi Province,
China. 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 a ...
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 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. Each of the mountains is viewed as the
bodhimaṇḍa
Bodhimaṇḍa (Sanskrit and Pali) or daochang () is a term used in Buddhism meaning the "position of awakening". According to Haribhadra, it is "a place used as a seat, where the essence of enlightenment is present".
Bodhimaṇḍas are regularl ...
() 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'' (meaning "meditation" or "meditative state"), is a Chinese school of Mahāyāna Buddhism. It developed in China from the 6th century CE onwards, becoming especially popular during the Tang and S ...
master
Linji Yixuan criticized the prominence of Wutai in
Tang dynasty 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.
Mount Wutai is home to some of the
oldest wooden buildings in China that have survived since the era of the
Tang Dynasty (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
Sinology, or Chinese studies, is an academic discipline that focuses on the study of China primarily through Chinese philosophy, language, literature, culture and history and often refers to Western scholarship. Its origin "may be traced to the ex ...
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, 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 whole temple comprises seven terraces, divided into three parts. The lower three terraces are named
Jile Temple (); the middle terrace is called Shande Hall (); the upper three terraces are named Youguo Temple (). Other major temples include
Xiantong Temple,
Tayuan Temple 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, Guanyin Dong,
Longhua Temple
The Longhua Temple (, alternatively Lunghwa Temple; literally ''"Dragon Flower Temple''") is a Buddhist temple dedicated to the Maitreya Buddha in Shanghai. Although most of the present day buildings date from later reconstructions, the temple ...
, Luomuhou Temple,
Jinge Temple
Jinge Temple (), or "Golden Pavilion Temple", is a Buddhist temple in Shanxi province, China.
The temple is located on Mount Wutai, north of the South Peak and south of the Central Peak, about 15 kilometres from Taihuai town. It is at an altit ...
, Zhanshan Temple, Wanfo Ge, Guanhai Temple, Zhulin Temple, Jifu Temple, and
Gufo Temple.
Outer Mount Wutai temples include
Yanqing Temple,
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
Dingxiang () is a county in the north central part of Shanxi province, China. It is under the administration of Xinzhou
Xinzhou, ancient name Xiurong (秀荣), is a prefecture-level city occupying the north-central section of Shanxi Provinc ...
opened in December 2015.
Climate
Mount Wutai has a
subarctic climate (
Köppen climate classification ''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
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 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