Buddha Mother Cave

Buddha Mother Cave

The Buddha Mother Cave of Mount Wutai, also known as the Thousand Buddha Cave of Mount Wutai, is located about 1,800 meters southwest of Baiyun Temple Village, Taihuai Town, Wutai County. Facing south, it stretches 172.56 meters from east to west and 63.67 meters from north to south, covering an area of approximately 11,000 square meters.

According to the Ming Dynasty’s *Qingliang Mountain Annals*, it was built during the Jiajing era (1522–1566). Inscriptions on steles indicate that it was renovated in the 7th year (1742) and 43rd year (1778) of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. Except for the main hall (Buddha Mother Cave), which is a Qing Dynasty structure, all other buildings are newly constructed. The Mahavira Hall, also called the Buddha Mother Cave, has a platform base that is 10.05 meters wide, 5.86 meters deep, and 1.08 meters high. It features three bays in width and two rafters in depth, with a single-eave gable-and-hip roof, and a four-rafter front-and-rear corridor-style framework. The bracket sets are simple, and the wooden structure is exposed. The hall enshrines stone Buddhist statues. There are also two wide exits, 5 meters wide and 4 meters high, divided into inner and outer caves. The inner cave houses one stone Buddha statue, while the outer cave contains stone-carved statues of Vairocana Buddha and the Four Directional Buddhas—four in total—all carved during the Ming Dynasty. In front of the hall, there are two steles recording renovations from the Ming Dynasty. In July 1988, the People’s Government of Wutai County designated it as a county-level cultural relic protection unit. (*Compilation of Cultural Relics in Xinzhou*)

Taihuai Town: The original site of Taihuai Town was in the central part of Mount Wutai, by the Qingshui River. It got its name because it is surrounded by five peaks, and it is close to the famous Mount Wutai temple complex. In the early Qing Dynasty, Taihuai served as an imperial retreat, where emperors such as Kangxi and Qianlong visited and stayed multiple times. Taihuai is a local market town that welcomes countless tourists and merchants every year. … Taihuai Town detailed information++