Mount Wutai, also called Wutaishan or Mount Qingliang in Chinese, is a holy place for Buddhists located near the source of the Qingshui River in Shanxi Province, China. The central area of the mountain is surrounded by flat-topped hills that roughly line up with the directions north, south, east, and west. The northernmost peak, known as Beitai Ding or Yedou Feng, is the tallest, reaching 3,061 meters (about 10,043 feet) above sea level. It is also the highest point in North China.

Mount Wutai has more than 53 sacred monasteries and is home to many of China's most important temples. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009 and given the AAAAA tourist attraction rating by China's National Tourism Administration in 2007.

Significance

Mount Wutai is one of the Four Sacred Mountains in Chinese Buddhism. Each mountain is considered the bodhimaṇḍa (道場; dàocháng) of one of the four great bodhisattvas. Mount Wutai is the home of the Bodhisattva of wisdom, Mañjuśrī, also known as "文殊" (Wénshū) in Chinese. Mañjuśrī has been connected to Mount Wutai since ancient times. Paul Williams writes:

Mount Wutai was the first of the four mountains to be identified and is often called "first among the four great mountains." This identification came from a passage in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, which describes the homes of many bodhisattvas. In this passage, Mañjuśrī is said to live on a "clear cold mountain" in the northeast. This description became the basis for Mount Wutai's identity and its alternate name, "Clear Cool Mountain" (清凉山; Qīngliáng Shān).

The bodhisattva is believed to appear on the mountain often, taking the form of ordinary pilgrims, monks, or unusual five-colored clouds.

Because of competition between Buddhist centers in the 9th century, Chan Buddhism master Linji Yixuan criticized Mount Wutai's importance during the Tang dynasty. According to the book Línjì yǔlù, Linji Yixuan once said, "Many people search for Mañjuśrī on Mount Wutai. That is wrong. Mañjuśrī is not on Mount Wutai." His criticism did not stop Mount Wutai from becoming a famous Buddhist site in China.

Mount Wutai has a long connection with Tibetan Buddhism. It was also important to Taoist pilgrims traveling along the Silk Road in the 10th century.

Mount Wutai is home to some of the oldest wooden buildings in China that survived from the Tang dynasty (618–907). These include the main hall of Nanchan Temple and the East Hall of Foguang Temple, built in 782 and 857, respectively. These buildings were discovered in 1937 and 1938 by a group of architectural historians, including Liang Sicheng, a well-known early 20th-century historian. Experts such as Nancy Steinhardt have studied these buildings. Steinhardt categorized them based on types of halls described in the Yingzao Fashi, a 12th-century Chinese building manual.

In 2008, local residents complained that, in preparation for Mount Wutai's bid to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site, they were forced to leave their homes and move away from their livelihoods.

Major temples

Nanchan Temple (Chinese: 南禅寺), located at 38°58′53″N 113°34′26″E (38.9815°N 113.5738°E), is a large Chan temple on Mount Wutai. It was first built during the Tang dynasty. The temple has seven terraces divided into three sections. The lower three terraces are called Jile Temple (极乐寺); the middle terrace is named Shande Hall (善德堂); and the upper three terraces are called Youguo Temple (佑国寺). Other major temples on Mount Wutai include Xiantong Temple, Tayuan Temple, and Pusading Temple.

Other important temples within Mount Wutai are Shouning Temple, Bishan Temple, Puhua Temple, Dailuo Ding, Qixian Temple, Shifang Tang, Shuxiang Temple, Guangzong Temple, Youguo Temple, Guanyin Dong, Longhua Temple, Luomuhou Temple, Jinge Temple, Zhanshan Temple, Wanfo Ge, Guanhai Temple, Zhulin Temple, Jifu Temple, Jihe Temple, and Gufo Temple.

Temples outside Mount Wutai include Yanqing Temple, Nanchan Temple, Mimi Temple, Foguang Temple, Yanshan Temple, Zunsheng Temple, and Guangji Temple. In 2005, the foreign minister of Nepal, Ramesh Nath Pandey, gave a large statue of Maha Manjushree to the Buddhists of China.

Honors

In April 2020, it was chosen to be part of the "2020 World Famous Summer Mountains List".

In April 2020, it was also chosen to be part of the "2020 China's Famous Summer Mountains List".

In September 2022, the planation surface of Mount Wutai was added to the list of the most beautiful geological relics in Shanxi Province.

Climate

Mount Wutai has a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dwc). The average yearly temperature in Haidian is 2.2°C (36.0°F). The average yearly rainfall is 686.7 mm (27.04 in), with July being the month that receives the most rain. The warmest average temperatures occur in July, reaching about 15.0°C (59.0°F), while the coldest average temperatures occur in January, dropping to about −11.8°C (10.8°F). The weather on Mount Wutai is most comfortable from July to August, making it a good time for travel. Temperatures are very cold from November to March. The lowest temperature ever recorded on Mount Wutai was −44.8°C, which happened on January 15, 1958.

Gallery

• The Xiantong Temple, an important temple at Mount Wutai
• A palace hall at Mount Wutai
• The Dailuoding Temple
• The Lingfeng Temple pagoda
• The Sarira Stupa of Tayuan Temple, built in 1582 during the Ming dynasty
• View of the Zunsheng Temple
• Qifo Temple
• Yuanzhao Temple
• A 10th-century mural showing Mount Wutai. From Cave 61 in the Mogao Caves, Dunhuang
• A map of Mount Wutai from 1846, created during the Qing dynasty