Wutaishan Sports Center in Nanjing 2012-09.JPG
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Mount Wutai, also known by its Chinese name Wutaishan and as is a sacred Buddhist 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 most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
. 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 at ...
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 branche ...
in 2007.


Significance

Mount Wutai is one of the Four Sacred Mountains in Chinese Buddhism. Each of the mountains is viewed as the bodhimaṇḍa () of one of the four great bodhisattvas. Wǔtái is the home of the Bodhisattva 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 Mañjuśrīkumārab ...
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 So ...
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 build ...
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 The ''Yingzao Fashi'' () is a technical treatise on architecture and craftsmanship written by the Chinese author Li Jie (李誡; 1065–1110), the Directorate of Buildings and Construction during the mid Song Dynasty of China. He revised ma ...
'' 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 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 (). I ...
(); 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 tem ...
,
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 th ...
and Pusading Temple. Other important temples inside Mount Wutai include Shouning Temple, Bishan Temple,
Puhua Temple The Puhua Temple () is a Buddhist temple located in Taihuai Town of Wutai County, Xinzhou, Shanxi, China. History The time for the establishment of the Puhua Temple has been unable to be verified. It is also called "Temple of Jade Emperor" ( ...
, Dailuo Ding, Qixian Temple, Shifang Tang,
Shuxiang Temple Shuxiang Temple () located in southwestern of Taihuai in Mount Wutai, Shanxi, China. Shuxiang Temple is one of the National Key Buddhist Temples in Han Chinese Area. It is also listed in Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected in Shanxi Pr ...
, Guangzong Temple,
Youguo Temple Youguo Temple () is a 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 style tha ...
, Guanyin Dong, Longhua 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 Gufo Temple () is located on the bank of Qingshui River, Jingangku, Shanxi province, China and is the first temple to see if entering the Mount Wutai area from the south route. According to Mount Wutai's history, there are only records of the ...
. Outer Mount Wutai temples include
Yanqing Temple Yanqing Temple () is a Buddhist temple located to the west of Wutai County, Shanxi, China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exc ...
,
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 build ...
,
Mimi Temple Mimi Temple () is located on Mimi Hill (秘密岩), Weiping Mountain, 38 kilometers southwest of Taihuai Town in Mount Wutai, Shanxi, China. It is named after the hill. Another name for the hill is Mimo (秘魔岩). So an alternative name for th ...
, Foguang Temple, Yanshan Temple,
Zunsheng Temple Zunsheng Temple ( Chinese: 尊勝寺) is located in Huyangling, 20 km northeast of the seat of Wutai County. It was founded in the Tang dynasty and was initially called "Shan Zhu Ge Yuan" (善住閣院). It was rebuilt in Tiansheng 4th year, ...
, 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 Xinzhou Wutaishan Airport , formerly Dingxiang Airport, is a civilian and military dual-use airport in Dingxiang County, Shanxi Province, China. It serves the city of Xinzhou and Wutaishan, a Buddhist sacred mountain and World Heritage Site. T ...
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, ge ...
( 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 Lingfeng Temple () is a Buddhist temple located in Taihuai Town of Wutai County, Xinzhou, Shanxi, China. History The Lingfeng temple was first established in the Tang dynasty (618-907), rebuilt in the Chenghua period (1447-1487) of Ming dynasty ...
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 Dunhuang () is a county-level city in Northwestern Gansu Province, Western China. According to the 2010 Chinese census, the city has a population of 186,027, though 2019 estimates put the city's population at about 191,800. Dunhuang was a major ...
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 AAAAA (5A) is awarded to the most important and best-maintained tourist attractions in the People's Republic of China, given the highest level in the rating categories used by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. As of 2020, there are 279 touris ...


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