Mount Wutai

Background

Mount Wutai is in Wutai County, Xinzhou, Shanxi, with Taihuai Town as its central scenic area; five flat-topped peaks ring it roughly at the four cardinal points and the centre, which gives the mountain its name, "Five Terraces". The North Terrace, Yedou Peak, rises to 3061 m and is the highest point in North China. The mountain has more than fifty monasteries; Xiantong Temple, Tayuan Temple, Pusading, Shuxiang Temple and Dailuoding are among the most important. The Sarira Stupa of Tayuan Temple (the Great White Pagoda), built in 1582 during the Ming dynasty, is Mount Wutai's most striking landmark. The main hall of Nanchan Temple (782) and the East Hall of Foguang Temple (857) are the oldest surviving Tang wooden buildings in China. Mount Wutai was rated a national 5A tourist attraction in 2007 and inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2009. Mount Wutai is one of the Four Sacred Mountains of Chinese Buddhism, revered as the abode of the bodhisattva Manjushri, and is also called Mount Qingliang. It has deep ties with Tibetan Buddhism, Mongol pilgrims have come here for generations, and Han Chinese and Tibetan Buddhist temples stand side by side.

Local customs

• With Taihuai Town as your base, visit the core temples such as Xiantong Temple, Tayuan Temple and Pusading on foot
• climbing to Dailuoding is known locally as the "small terrace pilgrimage". If you have the stamina and time, you can try the "great terrace pilgrimage", hiking to all five terrace tops. Temple bells at dawn and dusk, pilgrims circling the pagoda and vegetarian temple meals give you the best feel for the mountain's daily religious life.

Travel tips

• The great terrace pilgrimage takes several days of hiking over all five terraces and demands good fitness and gear
• most visitors choose the Taihuai temples and the small pilgrimage to Dailuoding. Temperatures swing widely between day and night, so bring a warm jacket even in summer
• at this altitude, pay attention to how you feel and do not push on in bad weather. Scenic-area tickets, temple tickets and opening hours are as announced by the official sources.
• Wutaishan Airport is in neighbouring Dingxiang County and opened in December 2015
• you can reach the mountain by long-distance coach or car from Taiyuan, Xinzhou and elsewhere, and shuttle buses inside the scenic area link the temple clusters
• check official sources for details. The annual mean temperature is about 2.2°C, the July mean about 15°C and the January mean about −11.8°C, with a record low of −44.8°C. Summer is cool and the traditional season to escape the heat
• May to October is the main visiting season
• November to March is very cold, with frequent snow and ice, so take extra care on the mountain.