Taiyuan Juewei Mountain Scenic Area

Taiyuan Juewei Mountain Scenic Area

The Juewei Mountain Scenic Area is located on the west bank of the Fen River, about 20 kilometers northwest of Taiyuan City, in the area around Huyan Village. With its steep and towering peaks winding around, hikers must traverse the mountain by walking along curved paths, which led to its ancient name “Quwei” (Curved Enclosure), now known as “Juewei” (Towering Enclosure). The mountain is covered in lush, emerald-green layers of forest, resembling a vast rolling sea of green that takes on different hues across the four seasons. Especially in the late autumn season when chrysanthemums bloom yellow and frost forms on white dew, the cliffs and shrubs are blanketed with purplish-red maple leaves. Layers of crimson waves roll across the slopes, ridges, valleys, and forks, covering the mountainside in a spectacular display. “Juewei Red Leaves” is one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Old Yangqu.

On the southern slope of the mountaintop lies the ancient Duofu Temple, originally built in the second year of the Zhenyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (786) and reconstructed during the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1368–1398). It has long been a retreat for eminent monks seeking spiritual enlightenment, a sacred site frequented by princes of the Jin vassal state, and a destination for scholars and literati throughout history. The temple complex consists of three courtyards and covers an area of 6,500 square meters. The main hall of the first courtyard is the Mahavira Hall, featuring a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof. It is seven bays wide with surrounding corridors. Inside the hall are enshrined the Three Bodies of the Buddha, accompanied by four bodhisattva attendants and guardian vajras. The gable walls feature 84 Ming Dynasty murals depicting the life of the Buddha, rendered in gold and plaster relief. These murals are interspersed with natural landscapes and are considered masterpieces of Ming Dynasty temple murals for their imaginative composition and skilled execution. In the second courtyard, a stone stele stands beneath the scripture depository, inscribed with “Fu Shan’s Study Place.” It is a brick-vaulted cave dwelling, with ink writings by the master visible on the outer wall. To the east lies the Red Leaf Cave, where he wrote and practiced medicine. His works were later compiled into the collection titled Frost’s Red Niche, named after this place. Ascending the spiral stone steps leads to the third courtyard, where the Thousand Buddha Hall was rebuilt in 1994, housing over a thousand newly crafted Buddha statues, with the east and west side halls also restored, and the traditional peony landscape replanted. The temple houses numerous ancient structures, over ten stone steles, and even a well formed naturally “where a dragon entered its cave,” all nestled among red walls and green tiles, blending grandeur with subtlety in perfect harmony.

To the southeast of the temple lies a rocky cliff, below which is “Pearl Slope,” originally an ancient path used by monks to fetch water and pilgrims to worship. It has now been paved with over 340 stone steps, making it the best route for visitors to hike up the mountain from the base. At the top of the slope, there is a seven-story, hexagonal stupa that serves as a feng shui pagoda for relics. Standing at the base of the stupa and looking east, you can take in the entire landscape of Jinyang. To the west, ancient pines stand tall along the northern and southern slopes—the “Southern Pines and Northern Cypresses”—one of the wonders of Juewei. Within the pine forest lies the “Seven Pine Hermitage,” where Fu Shan once lived in seclusion. There are also legendary tales such as that of a “Hugging Cypress,” a pair of young lovers who leapt to their deaths rather than submit to feudal rites—stories that have been passed down through the ages.

On the mountainside lies Tuta Village. On the western cliffs of the village is the Pure Land Great Buddha Temple. According to inscriptions, during the Han Dynasty, a hill collapsed, forming a cave in which an earthen mound resembling a Buddha, standing around 10 zhang (approximately 33 meters) tall, emerged. This phenomenon, known as “the Buddha revealed by the mountain collapse,” is said to be the “karmic cause of the Pure Land,” hence the temple’s name. The temple was originally built during the Northern Qi Dynasty and reconstructed in the fifth year of the Taihe era of the Jin Dynasty (1205). It consists of a front and rear courtyard. The main structure of the front courtyard is the Great Buddha Pavilion, oriented east-west. It is a single-slope, two-story building with a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof, reconstructed in the 20th year of the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1541). Without railings, visitors can climb the pavilion for a full view of the Great Buddha. Entering the pavilion and the cave, the cavern stretches 25 meters deep and 7 meters wide, with stone steles lining the front and a large clay-covered stone-carved Buddha at the back, over 10 meters tall, known as the “Tuta Great Buddha,” also one of the Eight Scenic Spots. The rear courtyard features a traditional quadrangle layout, oriented north-south. The main hall enshrines the Three Bodies of the Buddha, while the side halls house eighteen arhats paying homage to Guanyin, ten Yama kings bowing to Kṣitigarbha, with over 30 statues in total, all created during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In the courtyard, three ancient cypresses remain, with twisted branches dancing wildly and uniquely shaped growths, known as the “Strange Cypress” or “Divine Cypress,” also one of the Eight Scenic Spots.

Address: Huyan Village area on the west bank of the Fen River, Chai Village Town, Jiancaoping District, Taiyuan City, approximately 24 kilometers from downtown Taiyuan.

Type: Forest Mountain

Recommended Visiting Time: 5–6 hours

Phone: 0351-3923530

Opening Hours:

Summer: 8:30–17:30; Winter: 9:00–17:00

Ticket Information:

Juewei Mountain: Free; Duofu Temple: 20 RMB. Parking: 10 RMB. Free admission for seniors aged 60 and above.