Once a remote outpost reached only by the most pious of pilgrims who traveled for months with wills steeled by devotion, Wutai Shan remains a hidden treasure for those seeking true contemplation.

Wutai Shan’s name means “five terraces,” which accurately describes the five flat peaks of this sacred spot – north, east, south, west and central peak. In the quiet valleys between the peaks lay a smattering of ancient temples, twisting trails and awe-inspiring views.

The major sights at Wutai Shan are rather spread out, forcing one to indulge in the gorgeous scenery that surrounds the five terraces. This also means that no one sight is overwhelmed with tour groups. Wutai Shan’s temples are an eclectic mix of Han Buddhist and Tibetan and Mongolian Lamaist traditions, making the mountain one of the best places in China to view Buddhist architecture.

The shrines on Wutai Shan date back to the Eastern Han dynasty, the second Buddhist temple in China was built here at a time when Taoism dominated the area. A legend goes that a Buddhist monk beseeched the emperor to construct the Xiantong Temple (xiǎntōng sì显通寺) on the mountain and suggested that a Taoist and Buddhist book be put into a fire to test which religion was true. The Taoist book was burned to ashes, but miraculously the Buddhist scroll remained undamaged, the temple was built. Later, Wutai Shan became a popular pilgrimage destination as more monasteries and temples were built in succeeding dynasties.

During the Sui and Tang dynasties, when Buddhism held imperial favor, over 360 temples were built. The mountain also became an international destination point for Buddhists from other countries as they were drawn to the many temples as centers of learning. Lama Buddhists began to settle on the mountain during the Qing dynasty. Today there are 47 temples and monasteries and they continue to draw devotees and curious sightseers.

Most of the temples are located around Taihuai, a small temple inundated town nestling in the valleys 1,700m above sea level. The temples on Wutai Shan are dedicated to Wenshu Pusa (Manjusri), the Bodhisattva of Wisdom and Virtue. A visiting Indian monk had a vision of Wenshu in the 1st century AD and concluded Wutai Shan to be the mystical abode of Buddha’s most important assistant. Numerous legends speak of how apparitions of Wenshu riding on the back of a blue lion have been sighted high above the monasteries.

Tours normally begin at Taihuai; one daylong trip south of town allows you to visit several stylistically different temples. All temples share a transcendental aura, so if you’re looking to get away from the generic grab grey pillars of urban life, any temple will do.

108 carved granite steps (the same number of beads on a Buddhist rosary) lead to Dailuo Ding (dàiluó dǐng 黛螺顶), the temple that houses statues of five different forms of Wenshu Pusa, each of whom supposedly live on a different peak. Legend has it that a young monk suggested statues representing the five incarnations of Wenshu be built here to save visiting emperors from a grueling trek. For those who want to visit the bodhisattvas but don’t have the time to make a house call; this is the place to ask Wutai Shan’s guardians for a blessing. To make things even easier, there’s now a cable car from the foot of Wutai Shan to the temple. Piety with convenience – if only the early pilgrims had it this easy.

Xiantong Temple is the largest and oldest temple on the mountain and is also conveniently located in the heart of town. It houses the amazing Beamless Pavilion (wúliáng diàn 无梁殿), which contains no beams and is supported through a complex set of interlocking pins. The impressive Bronze Pavilion (tóng diàn 铜殿) is made from 50,000kg of bronze; it’s a perfect replica of a wooden pavilion, the interior houses thousands of tiny Buddhas. Continuing on the bronze theme, the Youming Bell (yōumíng zhōng 幽冥钟) is the largest bronze bell in the region. The 2.5m high bell was built in 1620, weighs 9999.5jin and has a diameter of 1.6m. A Buddhist sutra of over 10,000 Chinese characters decorates the body of the bell.

Behind the Xiantong Temple is the largest Lama temple on the mountain, the Pusa Ding (púsà dǐng 菩萨顶). Climb the 108 stairs to this temple and gaze out on the expansive views of Taihuai and the surrounding countryside. Tibetan and Mongolian Lamas stayed here during the Ming and Qing dynasties, believing that Wenshu Pusa once lived in the same place. The Wenshu Pavilion has an interesting feature: water is stored on the roof when it rains and on sunny days it drips down the roof.

The 50m high Tibetan styled White Pagoda (bái tǎ 白塔), designed by a Nepali in 1301, has become a symbol of Wutai Shan. It stands on the grounds of Tayuan Temple (tǎyuàn sì 塔院寺), also in Taihuai. A marketplace forms around it with vendors selling incense, prayer beads, Buddhist booklets and bronze Buddhas.

Just 10 minutes away from Tayuan Temple is Shuxiang Temple (shūxiàng sì 殊像寺), which features a 6m tall statue of Wenshu riding a lion, the temple itself was last rebuilt in 1487. Take a short 10 minute walk southwest and the Puhua Temple (pǔhuá sì 普华寺) will come into view, the buildings here feature intricate carvings. About 3km southwest is the South Mountain Temple (nánshān sì 南山寺) where 18 Ming dynasty arhats statues reside. Follow a packed earth trail down the hill for about 5km and you’ll arrive at the Dragon Fountain Temple (lóngquán sì 龙泉寺), where 108 steps lead to an elaborate marble entrance with carvings of Buddhas, bodhisattvas, dragons and flowers. In the main hall is an exquisitely carved Puji Dagoba (pǔjì chánshī tǎ 普济禅师塔) with a laughing Buddha looking out from each cardinal direction. In the courtyard hundreds of small chimes tinkle in the wind.

Not far from the Tayuan Temple is the Luohou Temple (luóhóu sì 罗侯寺), the present structures date from 1492, the temple features a unique circle altar where a lotus opens up to with a Buddha carved inside. The statue was made from a tree where an emperor saw a divine light. When the tree died during the Qing dynasty, it was carved into this lotus – a mechanism underground allows the lotus petals to be raised and lowered.

Making Your Trip Easy

Area Code: 0350 

Practical Tips

Admission to Wutai Shan is about RMB 90 during the peak-season and RMB 75 during the off-season.

Wutai Shan averages more than 1,000m above sea level and at such a high elevations, the mountain can be rather chilly. The northern terrace, at 3,058m, is the highest point in north China. It’s best to visit during the summer, especially from June to September. This is when the temperature averages around 20°C, but be aware that the weather varies at different altitudes. It begins to snow in September, which continues until April, so bring warm clothes. The temperature starts to warm up in April and rain gear will be necessary in the summer. The temperature drops significantly at night, so be prepared.

Allow for at least three days if you’re really into temples and want to soak up the atmosphere. Avoid the weekends when the tourists swarm to the mountain, especially during the summer when guesthouses double their prices. It’s RMB 80 to get into Wutai Shan. RMB 15 for insurance is optional. The admissions to the temples range between RMB 3 to 6. During Wenshu Pusa’s birthday, the 14th day of the 6th lunar month, celebrations are held throughout the temples.

Form the 18th day of the last lunar month to the 18th day of the first lunar month (usually around February) is the fosu minhuai nian (佛俗民怀年), a celebration that’s held in Taihuai Town. Traditional Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) cele-brations take over the town; people paste red paper cuttings on their windows, families spend the cold days making dumplings and the nights are punctured with the cascading lights of fireworks and deafening bangs of firecrackers. Visiting the temples during this time is spectacular. Take part in the bell-ringing ceremonies that bring in the Chinese New Year and dig into tasty vegetarian meals.

Keep in mind that Wutai Shan is a place of worship and it’s a place of religious worship. This means showing proper respect while in the temples and towards the monks.

Transportation

Airport – Wusu Airport is 17km southeast of downtown Taiyuan. It takes about 2 hours from Taiyuan City to the Wutai Shan Scenic Area.

Bus – There are buses from Taihuai to Beijing, Datong and Taiyuan. Taking the bus from Taiyuan to Wutai Shan costs RMB 43. From the Wutai Shan Railway Station to the mountain is 48 km and costs RMB 20.

Taxi – A taxi from Taiyuan to Wutai Shan will be about RMB 200. Taxis around the mountain should cost RMB 10. A taxi tour from the east terrace to the south terrace is RMB 30 per person for a round trip. Another route goes from the middle terrace to the west terrace then finally to the north terrace is RMB 35 per person for a round trip. Another route that covers ten temples is RMB 40 per person (654 5844, 654 6150).

Train – Taihuai Town is well serviced by trains. The small train station is about an hour away from the mountain.

The Best of Wutai Shan

Pusa Ding 菩萨顶púsà dǐng

Address: Taihuai Town 台怀镇

Phone: 654 5499

￥: 5

Xiantong Temple 显通寺xiǎntōng sì

Address: Taihuai Town 台怀镇

Phone: 654 5414

Opening hours: 7:30am to 7pm, peak-season; 8am to 5pm, off-season

￥: 6

Ten Thousand Buddha Pavilion 万佛阁 wàn fó gé

Address: Taihuai Town 台怀镇

Phone: 654 5428

Opening hours: 5:30am to 8pm, peak-season; 6am to 6pm, off-season

￥: Free

Hotels

Jin Xiu Villa 锦绣山庄 jǐnxiù shānzhuāng ★★★★

Address: Dachegou Village, Taihuai Town, Wutai Shan County五台山台怀镇大车沟村

Phone: 654 8758, 654 8081

￥: 688 – double room, peak-season; 588 – double room, off-season

Wu Feng Hotel 五台山五峰宾馆 wǔtái shān wǔfēng bīnguǎn ★★★

Address: next to Dragon Fountain Temple, Taihuai Town, Wutai Shan County五台山台怀镇龙泉寺旁

Phone: 654 8988, 654 5998

￥: 380 – double room, peak-season; 304 – double room, off-season

Website: www.wutaishan.com.cn/wfeng/index.htm

Yin Du Hotel 银都山庄 yíndū shānzhuāng ★★★

Address: Dachegou Village, Taihuai Town, Wutai Shan County五台山台怀镇大车沟村

Phone: 654 8888, 654 8898

￥: 480 – double room, peak-season; 240 – double room, off-season

Yin Hai Hotel 银海山庄 yínhǎi shānzhuāng ★★★

Address: Yangbaiyu, Taihuai Town, Wutai Shan County五台山台怀镇杨柏峪

Phone: 654 2676, 654 2949

￥: 580 – double room, peak-season; 470 – double room, off-season

Yunfeng Hotel 云峰宾馆 yúnfēng bīnguǎn ★★

Address: Yangbaiyu, Taihuai Town, Wutai Shan County五台山台怀镇杨柏峪

Phone: 654 8131, 654 8566

￥: 480 – double room, peak-season; 280 – double room, off-season

Website: www.sx.wts.xq.com

Food & Restaurants

Flour is the basis of most dishes in Shanxi and chefs here are known for their variously shaped noodles. The noodles get their unique names from how they’re made or the odd shapes the chef molds them into. The most common variety is la mian (拉面), which are hand-pulled noodles served up with a variety of sauces. Watching the chef pull and twist the lump of dough into long thin noodles is as entertaining as the noodles are tempting. There’s an assortment of thicker noodles cut from lumps of dough then boiled or stir-fried, these types include daoxiao mian (刀削面), which come in large flat pieces. Don’t be put off by cat’s ear noodles (māo ěrduō 猫耳朵), they’re called that because they’re shaped like cat’s ears.

Many roadside restaurants offer simple noodles with their own homemade sauce. A specialty in Wutai Shan is tai mo (台蘑), a mushroom dish can cost up to RMB 80 a plate. The fat, juicy mushrooms only grow in the area around Wutai Shan and are considered to have medicinal properties that help miscellaneous ailments like arthritis. Wanjuansu (万卷酥), a very delicate cookie, was an imperial favorite. Lotus flower beans make good snacks, beans are first boiled then deep fried until they turn into the shape of a lotus flower.

A good place to try out these tasty treats are at the morning and evening markets. There’s one at Jinjie Temple (jīnjiè sì 金界寺) at the top of Dailuo Ding (黛螺顶) and in Taihuai’s travel area’s parking lot.

RESTAURANTS

Dongfang Jiujia 东方酒家

Address: Mingqingjie Bridge 明清街桥头

Phone: 654 5505

Haitian Dajiudian 海天大酒店

Address: Mingqingjie Bridge明清街桥头

Phone: 654 5888

Souvenirs

Local special souvenirs include paper cuttings (jiǎn zhǐ剪纸), lacquerware, inkstands, mushrooms and ginseng. In Taihuai, the shopping district, brimming with souvenir shops, is centered on Yanglin Lu. If you feel like brushing up on your calligraphy, then buy a chengni yan (澄泥砚) ink stone. These were popular during the Tang dynasty and modern ones cost RMB 50 to 80. For the ink stone connoisseur, tai yan (台砚) is a great gift, they can cost over RMB 200. Exquisite multi-colored wood bowls (mùwǎn 木碗) go for around RMB 10. Walking sticks (xiánglóngmù shǒuzhàng 降龙木手杖) are an elaborate souvenir and are handy when climbing the mountain, they go for around RMB 10. As in most places, bargaining is a must. If you want to go the source of these goodies, head to the Industrial Arts Factory of Wutai County (五台县工艺美术厂, 654 5263). It’s 500m east of Da Baita in the Tayuan Temple on Wutai Shan.

Other Information

POST OFFICES

Wutai Shan Post Office五台山邮政局

Address: Yanglin Jie, Taihuai Town, Wutai Shan County五台山台怀镇杨林街

Phone: 654 5051

HOSPITALS

First Aid Center of Wutai Shan Hospital 五台山医院急救中心

Address: opposite the Taihuaizhen Binguan, Taihuai Town, Wutai Shan County五台山县台怀镇台怀镇宾馆对面

Phone: 654 5349

Wutai Shan Hospital 五台山医院

Address: Yangbaiyu Village, Taihuai Town, Wutai Shan County 五台山台怀镇杨柏峪村

Phone: 654 2526

COMPLAINT HOTLINES

General: 654 3133

Taxi: 654 5844, 654 2880