Guide: The Secret Temple was originally built during the Tang Dynasty. Today, only the front courtyard, middle courtyard, rear courtyard, West Hermitage, and Middle Hermitage remain. The front courtyard features the Hall of Heavenly Kings, east and west side halls, a five-bay main hall, as well as scripture depositories to the north and south. The middle courtyard includes side halls and a five-bay main hall. Some halls in the rear courtyard are partially damaged. The Middle Hermitage consists of three sites: the Three Saints Hermitage, Guanyin Cave, and Golden Buddha Tower. In the Guanyin…
In late October 1937, the Eighth Route Army headquarters left the Wutai Mountain area and headed for the Taihang Mountains. After the headquarters departed, Nie Rongzhen stayed behind to establish the Jin-Cha-Ji Military District. Today, the former site of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military District General Headquarters is still preserved in Jinkangku, 15 kilometers south of Taihuai. The Former Site of the Eighth Route Army Headquarters in Nanru is located in Nanru Village, Wutai County. In 19…
Puhua Temple on Mount Wutai is located about 700 meters south of Taihuai Village, Taihuai Town, Wutai County. It faces west and measures 137 meters from east to west and 141 meters from north to south, covering an area of 19,200 square meters. The exact date of its establishment is unknown. It underwent renovation in the early 1980s. The existing structures date back to the Qing Dynasty. Along the central axis, there are…
At the end of the passage is a large rock cave halfway up the mountainside and the grand hall in front of it. The hall has three bays, with upturned eaves. Inside the hall, the main deity enshrined is the Eight-Armed Eleven-Faced Guanyin, whose face is painted in white, red, green, blue, and other colors, representing various manifestations. On either side are also enshrined Manjushri Bodhisattva, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, and Tsongkhapa, the founder of the - sect. To the left behind the hall is a small cave,...
Shouningsi Temple on Mount Wutai is located approximately 300 meters northwest of Xigou Natural Village, Xinfang Village, Taihuai Town, Wutai County. The temple faces south and measures 62.8 meters from east to west and 71.56 meters from north to south, covering an area of 4,493.97 square meters. Its founding date is unknown. According to *Records of Mount Qingliang*, it was built during the Northern Qi Dynasty, and was reconstructed during the Jingde era (1004–1007) of the Song Dynasty, when it was first named Shouningsi. The current structures date back to the Qing Dynasty. The temple follows a three-courtyard layout, with a central axis that successively features the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Offering Hall (also the Manjusri Hall), the Mahavira Hall, and the Three Great Bodhisattvas Hall (Guanyin Hall). Side structures include side gates, the bell tower, the drum tower, and auxiliary halls. The Mahavira Hall sits on a stone platform that is 19.3 meters wide, 12.4 meters deep, and 0.83 meters high. The hall is five bays wide and six rafters deep, with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. It has a seven-rafter front-and-rear corridor structure. The front eaves feature four-panel lattice doors with six mullions in both the central and side bays, while the rear eaves have six-panel lattice doors in the central bay. Inside the hall, a newly created Buddhist altar houses 21 statues including the Three Ages of Buddha and the Eighteen Arhats. The temple preserves one Yuan Dynasty stele and three Qing Dynasty stelae, though most of the inscriptions have faded. In July 1988, it was designated as a county-level cultural relic protection unit by the People's Government of Wutai County. (*Excerpts from “A Collection of Cultural Relics in Xinzhou”*)
Introduction: The East Platform of Mount Wutai is called Wanghai Peak. It is located 10 kilometers east of Taihuai Town, at an altitude of 2,795 meters, covering an area of over 100 acres. A Wanghai Tower was once built on the summit. On clear summer mornings, when you ascend the peak at dawn, you can witness the sun rising brilliantly from beyond the sea of clouds. Zhao Puchu, then President of the Buddhist Association of China and a poet, composed a verse on the spot during his visit to the East Platform in 1981: “On the East Platform, even in midsummer one wears fur; the sky dons rosy robes to welcome the sunrise, while the peak rides the sea of clouds like a floating boat, brimming with the vitality of the land.”
The mountain gate of Yuanyao Temple is unique. While most temples have a three-door gate, this one has five, known as the Five Dynasties Gate, which is unparalleled on Mount Wutai. In front of the temple stands a pair of stone lions. Inside, there are structures such as the Heavenly King Hall, the Mahavira Hall, the Pagoda Courtyard, the Scripture Depository, and the Rear Courtyard. Among them, the Mahavira Hall enshrines the Buddhas of the Three Ages: the Medicine Buddha on the east side...
Zhenhai Temple in Wutai Mountain is located about 450 meters southwest of Tanzhi Natural Village, Yangbaiyu Village, Taihuai Town, Wutai County. Facing east and built against the mountain, it stretches 168.37 meters from east to west and 141.62 meters from north to south, covering an area of 23,800 square meters. The exact date of its establishment is unknown, but the temple existed as early as the Ming Dynasty. In the 51st year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty…
Zunsheng Temple was originally built during the Tang Dynasty and was then called Shanzhuo Pavilion Courtyard. It was renovated in the 19th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty and renamed Zunsheng Temple. Partial repairs were carried out in the 7th year of the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty. A stone stele from the 24th year of the Kangxi era in the Qing Dynasty within the temple records its history. The temple faces south and has five levels. Along its central axis are arranged the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Mahavira Hall, the Three Great Bodhisattvas Hall, the scripture depository…
The Mao Zedong's Former Residence Memorial Hall is located in the abbot’s courtyard of Tayuan Temple on Mount Wutai. The interior is arranged as it originally was: a military blanket covers the kang (a heated brick bed), a wooden table stands on the floor with an inkstone placed on it, and a wooden chair sits in front of the table. On a square platform between the table and the edge of the kang is a large box topped with a bronze teapot. In the east wing of the backyard, there are three rooms — the left and right ones respectively...
Great Wenshu Temple, also known as Guang’an Temple, is located on the east bank of Qingshui River in Taihuai Town, Wutai Mountain, Shanxi Province, at the northern entrance of Ming-Qing Street. It was first built during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1736–1795) and rebuilt in the first year of the Daoguang era (1821). The temple faces south and covers an area of 5,180 square meters. It is one of the...
Guangming Temple is located south of Guangming Temple Village in Taihuai Town, on the north bank of the Qingshui River. It was originally built during the Northern Qi Dynasty and is a renowned ancient temple on Mount Wutai. It was rebuilt during the Ming Dynasty on a grand scale, covering an area of 7,000 square meters. It was destroyed during the land reform in 1947, but now a very devout nun from the northeast has constructed a main hall with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof, five bays wide, along with the Hall of Heavenly Kings and the Bell and Drum Towers. The buildings have been newly painted, with carved beams and painted rafters, presenting a vibrant and lively scene.
The Norman Bethune Memorial Hall is located in Songyankou Village, Gengzhen Town, adjacent to the site of the "Model Hospital." It is a dedicated site for paying tribute and commemorating the international communist fighter Comrade Norman Bethune. Upon entering the memorial hall, visitors will see a tall white marble statue of Bethune standing solemnly—his high nose, blue eyes, and attire in the Eighth Route Army uniform...
Shuxiang Temple is situated at the entrance of Fenglin Valley in Shanxi Province, facing Fanshan Mountain, with elegant scenery. The temple was established during the Yuan Dynasty and was renovated during the Hongzhi and Wanli eras of the Ming Dynasty. It is one of the Five Great Meditation Sites alongside Xiantong Temple, Tayuan Temple, Pusading, and Luohou Mountain, as well as one of the Top Ten Temples of Qing Temples, making it a very famous monastery. Shuxiang Temple is a national key cultural relic protection unit...
Pagoda of Tayuan Temple on Mount Wutai: Also known as the "Relic Pagoda," it is located within Tayuan Temple, south of Xiantong Temple in Huaizhen on Mount Wutai. The base of the Relic Pagoda is square, and the structure stands approximately 50 meters tall. It was built entirely using lime mixed with rice paste. Amidst the lush green mountains, the towering white pagoda stands out prominently. The finial, the disk, and the precious jewel at the top are all made of bronze. Around the midsection of the pagoda and the disk, there are 252 wind chimes. When the wind blows, they tinkle melodiously, making this pagoda an iconic symbol of Mount Wutai.
The former residence of Xu Xiangqian is located in Yong’an Village, Dongye Town, about 20 kilometers southeast of Wutai County, Shanxi Province. It was originally built in the early years of the Daoguang reign during the Qing Dynasty. In 1901, Marshal Xu Xiangqian was born here. This is a typical northern Shanxi-style courtyard residence. The main house faces the courtyard, flanked by wing rooms. The upper and lower floors were where Marshal Xu worked and...
The Former Site of the Norman Bethune Model Hospital Ward is located in Songyankou Village, 45 kilometers east of Wutai County, and is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. On June 17, 1938, Comrade Norman Bethune, a Canadian communist and thoracic surgery expert, came from Yan’an to Jinguanku Village, the headquarters of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region. He was appointed as the military region’s health advisor by the regional commander...
The Former Site of the Headquarters of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Command Era: 1937 Location: Jinguanku, Wutai Mountain, Wutai County The Memorial Hall of the Former Site of the Headquarters of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Command is located in Jinguanku Village, Wutai County, Shanxi Province. It was established on November 7, 2003, on the basis of the original site of the military command headquarters. The courtyard of the former site faces east and is situated close to the foot of the mountain...
Golden Hall Temple (Second Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites) Era: Ming and Qing Dynasties Location: 15 km northwest of Taihuai Town, Mount Wutai According to the "Zizhi Tongjian · Tang Annals," in the fifth year of the Dali era (770 AD) during the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Daizong (Li Yu) decreed that the eminent Indian monk and Tripitaka Master Amoghavajra come to Mount Wutai to perform meritorious deeds. A temple was built with copper tiles, gilded on the surface, and the Buddhist pavilion was adorned as a Golden Hall, hence the name Golden Hall Temple. ...
Longquan Temple (Second Batch of Provincial Protection) Era: Republic of China Location: Mid-slope of Jiulonggang Mountain, Xiaoche Village, 5 kilometers south of Taihuai Town, Mount Wutai Legend has it that in the past, nine dragons caused havoc, and Manjushri Bodhisattva pressed them under the mountain. The clear water reveals the shadows of nine little dragons, hence the name of the temple. The temple was first built during the Song Dynasty, renovated during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1522–1…