Overview:
Considered the best established of the four Buddhist holy mountains, Wu Tai Shan, "woo tai shahn", means five-terraced mountain and refers to the five flat peaks in the area. It is the holiest of the sacred peaks and is dedicated to Manjushri (or Wenshu Pusa in Chinese), the Bodhisatva of wisdom and virtue.
The other Buddhist holy mountains are
- Jiuhua Shan (south)
- Putuoshan (east)
- Emei Shan (west)
Location:
Wutai Shan is located along the northeast border of Shanxi provice where it borders Hebei province. See area map.
History:
Monasteries and temples were established over 2,000 years ago as Buddhist scholars returned from India bringing with them sacred texts and a yearning to study and mediate in relatively peaceful surroundings.
Because of its relative inaccessibility, Wutai Shan didn’t suffer as badly as other Buddhist areas during the Cultural Revolution so it represents a true picture of ancient Chinese religious architecture. While originally established in the first century AD, most of the buildings date from the Tang Dynasty.
Features & Attractions:
- Taihuai (“tai hwai”), a small monastic village that is surrounded by the five peaks of Wutai Shan – this is the starting point for a visit to Wutai Shan.
- Yedou Peak is the highest, 3058m
- Visit Nan Chan Si, the oldest wooden temple in China, built in 782AD
- Hiking can be done on any of the many trails that can be found outside of Taihuai
- Hike around and visit any or all of the 58 temples and monasteries that dot the mountainsides at Wutai Shan
Getting There:
Buses go from Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province, as well as from Datong, in the northern part of the province, to Taihuai in about 5 hours.
Staying There:
It's probably best to plan to spend a night or two in Taihuai so that you can day-hike around the area and visit several temples and monasteries. While Taihuai doesn’t offer any large international-standard hotels, there are dozens of small guesthouses and inns catering to a burgeoning local tourist trade.
