Mt. Wutai


Mt. Wutai is one of Buddhism’s Four Sacred Mountains, and is dedicated to the Bodhisattva of Wisdom
Manjusri. It is located about 200 km north of Taiyuan in mountainous country. The name refers to the flat
tops of the five principal peaks. The mountain has been regarded as an ideal place for escaping summer
heat since ancient times.

The mountain became an important Buddhist center in the Northern Wei through the Tang dynasties,
when more than 200 temples there were dedicated to the study of the Avatamsaka Sutra. After a period of
decline, the mountain regained popularity in the Ming and Qing periods, when the emphasis on Tibetan-
style Lamaist Buddhism made Mt. Wutai an important pilgrimage site. In the 15th century the founder of
the austere Tibetan Yellow Hat Sect came to Mt. Wutai to preach.

Lying at the northeast corner of Wutai County, the mountain is one of China's four sacred mountains famous in Buddhist religion. Standing at
3,058 meters above sea level, it was seen as the "roof of northern China." Covering an area of2,837 square kilometers, Wutai Mountain enjoys a
picturesque landscape, including peculiar-shaped cliffs summit, ancient pine and cypress trees enchanting wisps of clouds drifting around the
mountain, and magnificent and splendid pavilions and halls.

The Big White Pagoda for Buddha's Sarira, the symbol of the Mt. Wutai, is said to have been built there before the Emperor Mingdi of the Eastern
Han dynasty. The pagoda, Nepalese style in shape, has a base circumference of 83.3 meters and is 75.3 meters high. Inside the pagoda, there is
small India-made iron stupa, where some remains of Sakyamuni are kept Xiantong Temple is the oldest temple in China. Nestled in the center of
the town of Taihuai, the First Guesthouse of Wutai Mountain was once the west compound of Xiantong Temple; even today an entrance connects it
with the temple proper.

There are now 58 temples in Mount Wutai; each has its own characteristic. It is hard to find a group of
temples in such a large scale among all the famous mountains. Those temples fully display the Buddhist
arts in construction, sculpture, mural painting, and almost complete collection of Buddhist arts.