Wutaishan Travel Guide

Basic information Telephone area code: 0350 Tourism Bureau complaint phone number: 0350-6543133 Destination overview Destination sketch Surrounding Taihuai Town, Mount Wutai (Wutaishan) is standing in the Wutai County of Xinzhou City, and said to be the dwelling place of Manjusri […]

Basic information

Telephone area code: 0350
Tourism Bureau complaint phone number: 0350-6543133

Destination overview

Destination sketch

Surrounding Taihuai Town, Mount Wutai (Wutaishan) is standing in the Wutai County of Xinzhou City, and said to be the dwelling place of Manjusri Bodhisattva and known as one of the four Chinese Buddhist Mountains. There were 360 temples built at Wutaishan scenic area in Tang Dynasty (618-907), now only 47 of them exist. And the famous temples include Xiantong temple, Tayuan temple, Pusa Ding, Shuxiang temple, etc. Besides, here have two earliest Chinese extant wooden architectures: Nanchan temple and Foguang temple.
Apart from visiting various temples, you can have a hiking around Wutaishan, join some featured activities to meet the locals and more things to do in Mount Wutai awaiting you.

Consumption level

The consumption level of Wutai Mountain is medium, the hotel price is generally around 200-300 yuan, and the youth hostel is 45 yuan/bed.

Best Travel Season

The best travel season for Mount. Wutai are July and August.

Practical information

From April 1st, 2015, the price of the peak season is used. The adjusted price is: 134 yuan / person; student ticket is 84 yuan / person. After entering the Wutai Mountain Scenic Area, the tickets for each temple can be visited by themselves. Most of these temples can be visited directly for free, and a small number of temples need to purchase tickets. The general cost ranges from 3-15 yuan.
Children under 1.2 meters, senior citizens over 60 years old, holders of military officers’ cards, press cards, disability certificates, etc., local residents and monks are free. Half-price concessions for students; free tickets for 0:00-24:00 on May 19 (China Tourism Day) and September 27 (World Tourism Day).

Intercity traffic

Long distance bus

Xinzhou Railway Station
Address: Intersection of Yunzhong South Road and Xinjian East Street, Zhangzhou City
Phone: 0350-8687332

Zhangzhou Bus Station
Address: Zhangzhou Railway Station, 500 meters west of Xindong Street
Tel: 0350-3803698, 3046444

Wutaishan (Taihuai Town) Bus Station
Phone: 0350-6543101

Ningwu Bus Station
Address: Fenghuang East Street, Ningwu County
Phone: 0350-4723341

Traffic in the city

Taxi

The starting price in Wutai County is 5 yuan / 2 km, 1 yuan / km, the freight rate is 2.2 yuan / km after 10 km (including the empty fare); the starting price at night is 6 yuan / 2 km, the freight rate is 1.2 yuan, 10 After the kilometer, the freight rate is 2.4 yuan / km (including empty driving fees).

Attractions

The most holy land of Chinese Buddhism, Mt. Wutai lies in Wutai County in Xinzhou Region, Shanxi Province. It is rated on both the list of the first group of national scenic spots designated by the State Council, and the list of the Top 10 scenic spots in Shanxi Province. It is as famous as Mt.Emei in Sichuan Province, Mt.Putuo in Zhejiang Province, and Mt.Jiuhua in Anhui Province, all of which are renowned as the four sacred Buddhist Mountains. It covers an area of 2,837 square kilometers (1,095.4 square miles), and its five main peaks, positioned east, south, west, north, and in the middle, embrace one another with broad and plain terraces rather than forests on their tops. That is why it bears the name “Wutai Shan” (Mountain of Five Terraces). With the average altitude over 1,000 meters (over 3,281 feet), its apex, the summit of the northern peak which is famed as being the “Roof of Northern China”, reaches 3061.1 meters (10,043 feet). Besides the religious aspect, the beauty of rising and falling ridges of mountains, exotic rocks, crisscrossed gullies, crystalline waters and towering green forests also gives the mountain its reputation as a colorful and notable scenic resort.

Guayue Peak (Hanging Moon Peak) in the west

Guayue Peak reaches an altitude of 2,773 meters (9,097.8 feet) and is 13 kilometers (8.1 miles) west of Taihuai Town. This peak provides unique imagery in the evening when visitors can see the elegant and serene sight of the graceful but hazy moon hanging above dense pine trees.

Wanghai Peak (Peak Overlooking the Sea) in the east

1 kilometer (0.6 mile) east of Taihuai Town in Wutai County, there is Wanghai Peak. Visitors standing on the top of the peak can appreciate the height of 2,795 meters (9,169.9 feet). It is wonderful to see the sunrise in the morning from this location. Out of a sea of floating clouds and writhing mist, the sun rises with thousands of golden rays. It fills visitors with amazement, as they can believe it is the sun rising above the real sea.

Jinxiu Peak (Splendor Peak) in the south

Jinxiu Peak is 2,485 meters high (8,152.9 feet), and 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) south of Taihuai Town. This peak’s beauty is in the colorful flowers that grow all over it, and emit scents and perfumes from early May until late August. They decorate the peak by making it look as if it is wearing a floral silk coat.

Yedou Peak (Peak of Flourishing Leaves) in the north

This peak, 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) north of Taihuai Town, is the highest point of Mt. Wutai, as well being the highest in Northern China, at 3,058 meters (10,032.8 feet). On the terrace of the peak, there is a natural pool that is over 300 square meters (358.8 square yards) From the terrace looking towards the north, Mt. Hengshan looms blanketed in endless greenery.

Cuiyan Peak (Peak of Green Rocks) in the middle

According to its name, one can guess the scenery of this peak. The rocks are green not because of their own color, but because of the moss on their surface. The huge rocks resemble moving dragons when seen in sunlight, from which the name “dragon-writhing rocks” has been derived.

The Five Plateaus

Just because you have gone to Five Plateau “Mountain” doesn’t mean that you have to see all five plateaus – although many people do. Each plateau has a Buddhist monastery. Many minibuses leave each day from the foot of Dàiluó Peak in the centre of Táihuái village to tour all five plateaus in succession, fewer minibuses just visit one plateau. It takes about eight and a half hours to go around all five plateaus with 30 minutes stop at each plateau and a 40-minute break for lunch. For some people that is a lot of time in a minibus, on bumpy roads near the plateaus and not much time actually spent there.

Luohou Temple

To the east of the Xiantong Temple, Luohou Temple was set up as a Lamaist temple in the Tang Dynasty. One of its wonders is a wooden lotus-shaped flower. Machinery turns it and the wooden petals open and close. Inside are carved Buddhist figures on a square platform.

Tayuan Temple

The white stupa in the centre of Tayuan Temple has become a symbol of Wutaishan.

Shuxiang Temple

Shuxiang Temple It is the southwest neighbor of Tayuan Temple. Built in Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), it covers 6,400 square meters (7,654.6 square yards), and encompasses over 50 palaces and halls. Among them Manjusri Pavilion is the largest one in the center of the Taihuai County, with Manjusri Bodhisattva’s statue in it. A clear spring flows out of the temple named “Banruo” or “Prajna”, meaning “adding wisdom”, whose water was used in the courts.

Xiantong Temple

Xiantong Temple, perhaps the largest Temple, is where Buddhism took over from Daoism as the main religion in this area.

Manjusri Temple

Legend has it that Wenshu Bodhisattva dwelt in it, so it is also called “ZhenrongYuan” (real appearance) or “Bodhisattva Summit”. It was built originally in Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534). In the time of Emperor Yongle of Ming Dynasty (1368 -1644), Lamaists began to be stationed in Mt. Wutai, and the great Lama resided there. From then on, it became the principal temple of Lamaism. Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) both went there and left ever-lasting epigraphs.

Xiantong Temple

Xiantong Temple It has the longest history and is the most prestigious. Occupying an area of 80,000 square meters (95,682 square yards), it was built initially in 68, during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), with the additions built by succeeding dynasties. Now it plays the most important role among the temples, therefore, the Buddhist Association of Mt. Wutai is situated there. The court-styled construction of it includes seven palaces, in one of which Wenshu (Manjusri) Bodhisattva’s statue was engraved and worshiped. The copper bell in front of the gate is the biggest bell on the mountain, with a weight of 9,999.5 jin (22,045.9 pounds). Its toll can be heard around the entire mountain.

Dailuo Peak

On the east side of the Qingshui river, the views from this peak overlook Xiantong Temple, Tayuan Temple and most of Taihuai village. There are 1008/1080 steps up to the top. Locals are not sure but it is definitely not just 108. There is also a cable car that can take you most of the way up (or down)

Nanshan Temple

To the south of Táihuái village, arguably the nicest monastery in the area is Nanshan Temple. Invitations to ride a horse en-route. Although there are more signboards at Nanshan Temple in English than at many others, non-monks are not welcomed to stay, and neither are Tibetan monks. These rules and a slight distance from the centre have maintained a greater realistic “monastic” non-conflictive atmosphere than at many other monasteries.

Zhenhai Temple

From here you change to a smaller brown minibus to see Mingyue well, the more impressive Baiyun Temple or get nearer to the start of the climb to Fomu Cave.

Fomu Cave

Climbing the steps from the end of the road up to Fomu Cave might take nearly another hour. The queue/wait to see the cave could be anything from 2 hours on a weekday to 7-8 hours at weekends. The cave is said to have powers of rebirth – there is a part where reputedly the thin cannot pass but the fat can. Many opportunities to buy the release of sparrows, squirrels, rabbits etc, the price depending on how hard they were to catch in the first place. Buddhist custom. Sometimes sparrows get killed/injured during the netting/trapping process. Not a top choice for scenery, but an OK climb.

Foguang Temple and Nanchan Temple

Foguang and Nnachang temples house two of the oldest buildings in China (the one in Nanchang being the oldest known wooden structure and the one in Foguang the grandest of preserved wooden buildings of the Tang dynasty). As of 2011, tourist agencies do not appear to serve these destinations, which gives them a wonderfully secluded feel. They can be visited comfortably on a 4-6 hour excursion from Taihuai (private car asking price ¥300 as of summer 2011, probably negotiable). The temples are not active, but the atmosphere is without doubt spiritual. Foguang Temple is located near Doucun village, Nanchan Temple is located near Dongye village. The temples are much more austere in style than the ornate architecture of the Wǔtái valley proper, and extremely elegant

Food

Vegetarian food
Tai Mushroom

Shopping

Ink stone in Wutai County

Share this tour