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Originally, Mount Wutai was not called Mount Wutai but was known as Zifu Mountain or the Wufeng Mountain Taoist Sanctuary. It was once a place where Taoist monks practiced. In the 11th year of the Yongping era during the Eastern Han Dynasty (68 AD), two Indian (present-day India) monks, Kasyapa Matanga and Dharmaratna, came from the White Horse Temple in Luoyang to the Wufeng Mountain area. They believed this to be the sacred site where the Bodhisattva Manjushri preached the Dharma, so they intended to build a temple here to enshrine Manjushri. However, the local Taoist monks disagreed. Eventually, Emperor Ming of Han presided over a competition between the Taoists and the two monks at the White Horse Temple in Luoyang. The monks won. From then on, the Buddhist community gained the right to construct temples in the Taihuai Town area. The first temple built was what is now known as Xiantong Temple. Through construction and expansion across various dynasties, the number of temples centered around Taihuai Town once reached over 360, with more than 100 still preserved today. As a result, Mount Wutai stands at the forefront of China’s Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains due to its long history and grand scale of Buddhist temples.
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For many outdoor enthusiasts, or “lu you,” Mount Wutai holds a different significance. It is an exceptional travel route that carries irreplaceable meaning in their hearts, standing alongside the Xiao Wu and Haituo Mountain routes as a perennial topic among hikers. On June 14, 2013, at 3 PM, I arrived promptly at Dongfang Zhi Zhu in Wuqing to board the Huan Chai bus. Our group of four traveled via the Jingbao Expressway, the Beijing–Kunming Expressway, the Baofu Expressway, and then entered National Highway 103. At 6:30 PM, we entered the mountain road. Due to road construction, we had to take a detour adding 25 kilometers—an area where large buses were not permitted. At 8:50 PM, we reached Dajie Gate, not far from Mount Wutai. Finally, at 9 PM, we arrived at Wutai Mountain Railway Station.
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We entered a restaurant called “Little Sichuan Restaurant” to eat. The delicious food cost just 25 yuan per person. We then rested at the guesthouse, arriving after 10 PM. That was the earliest I’d slept in years (usually I don’t sleep until 1–3 AM at home)—very rare for a night owl like me. The next day, I woke up at 3:40 AM, washed up, and ate a can of eight-treasure porridge. At 4:30 AM, we took a vehicle to Hongmen Rock. Unexpectedly, we ran into “Crazy Old Man” on the bus—he had come by train. Crazy Old Man’s route was a clockwise Great Five (Southeast, West, Central, North). We also saw “Ya Tou” and “Men Tu” from the Beijing Ailvxing Outdoor Club. Running into familiar faces felt great. At 5:15 AM, we got off the bus to organize our gear and prepare to depart. The wind on the mountain was quite strong. After getting ready, we began hiking toward the Wisdom Manjushri at Wanghai Temple on East Peak. We arrived at East Peak at 6 AM, entered the temple with reverence, and bowed to each of the bodhisattvas. Then, our group of four descended from East Peak at 6:55 AM.
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The mountain scenery was truly beautiful, though the wind was strong that day. After resting at the base, we headed toward the Immaculate Manjushri at Lingying Temple on North Peak. Passing a small pavilion, we climbed all the way up to North Peak. Along the way, we chatted and laughed as we reached Fayun Temple. After a short rest, we continued, arriving at the Roof of North China at 9:20 AM. We took photos, then arrived at North Peak at 9:50 AM. There, we saw Ya Tou and Men Tu, bringing our group to six people.
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After having lunch together, we descended from North Peak at 11:30 AM and continued toward the Childlike Manjushri at Yanjiao Temple on Central Peak. We reached Central Peak at 12:50 PM and saw workers doing some construction. After taking more commemorative photos, we started descending from Central Peak at 1:30 PM. To be honest, no one else was walking ahead of us, and we didn’t see any tourists or hikers around. We frequently pulled out our maps to check directions toward the Lion’s Roar Manjushri at Faxue Temple on West Peak. At 2:40 PM, we arrived at West Peak. Huan Chai and another Huan Chai decided to first use a vehicle to get to Shiziwo. I and another hiker ate something before descending from West Peak. At 3 PM, we descended to Bagongde Shui. From the right side of Bagongde Shui, we walked and arrived at Jixiang Temple at 4:15 PM. We walked along a long gravel path, cutting up the mountain trail on the left side of the path (for over an hour, my hiking partner kept studying possible routes down from West Peak to Shiziwo, summarizing at every spot).
We walked along the familiar mountain path. After about 30 minutes, we heard Huan Chai calling, saying that lodging at Shiziwo had been arranged for four men and three women (including Crazy Old Man). Due to unstable phone signals along the way, we couldn’t reach Crazy Old Man—we only learned upon boarding that Shiziwo lodging had been reserved. We arrived at Shiziwo at 5:28 PM. My Unicom signal worked, and I found out that Crazy Old Man had already gone to South Peak for lodging. Shiziwo wouldn’t give us a refund. I contacted Ya Tou and Men Tu, and we ended up staying together at Shiziwo. At 6 PM, we started queuing for vegetarian meals—men in one line, women in another. The lodging manager handed each of us a small basin and a pair of chopsticks. Inside the dining hall, men and women ate separately, and speaking during meals was not allowed. After dinner, we wandered around a bit before preparing to rest early. Once in the room, the symphony of snores rose and fell—it was simply painful. Thanks to everyone’s snoring, I woke up around 4 AM. It was raining outside. At 6 AM, we queued again for vegetarian meals. To be honest, the taste wasn’t great—just a small taste.
We left Shiziwo at 6:20 AM, heading toward Jinge Temple while battling the rain. We put on and took off our windbreakers repeatedly, and after a struggle, arrived at Jinge Temple after 7 AM. We saw Ya Tou (who had set off at 6 AM for the group). The sky was still raining. At 8:12 AM, we set off for South Peak. Along the way, we repeated a few simple lines: I said, “I’m tired, let me drink some water.” Huan Chai replied, “Look, we’re almost at the top. We’ll drink when we get there!” Haha!! With these mantras, we made it to South Peak. Before reaching South Peak, there was a long gentle slope. The sky was densely overcast. Just as my hiking partner 10 meters ahead of me shouted, “Hurry up, it’s about to rain hard—you’ll need a raincoat!” I quickened my pace. Oh my goodness!! I was so exhausted I could barely breathe steadily—I even forgot to use my trekking poles. I couldn’t believe how I managed the climbs and descents, just holding the two poles dumbly in my hands. At 11 AM, we saw Fomu Temple. We waited for Huan Chai and Huan Chai’s partner to join, then leisurely toured Fomu Temple before preparing to descend the 1,600 steps. On the way down, we saw a nun leading a 4–5-year-old child, also dressed in monk’s robes. It felt very heartbreaking. I also gave my trekking poles to a tired nun.
At 12:15 PM, we descended from Fomu Temple and walked a short distance to Baiyun Temple. Finally, we had completed our goal—what a workout, haha!! A few of us took a vehicle to visit Xiangying Temple, Temple of the Fifth Lord (Wuye Miao), and other sites, strolling around Taihuai Town. We departed for Wutai Mountain Railway Station at 2:40 PM and arrived there at 4:10 PM. We ate, showered, and at 5:30 PM, returned to Tianjin. This hiking trip to Mount Wutai was truly wonderful—the scenery was especially beautiful right after the rain, with lush mountain vegetation, misty clouds overhead, and incredibly fresh air. It’s truly worthy of being one of China’s famed mountains. Fellow hikers should experience it for themselves.
We walked along the familiar mountain path. After about 30 minutes, we heard Huan Chai calling, saying that lodging at Shiziwo had been arranged for four men and three women (including Crazy Old Man). Due to unstable phone signals along the way, we couldn’t reach Crazy Old Man—we only learned upon boarding that Shiziwo lodging had been reserved. We arrived at Shiziwo at 5:28 PM. My Unicom signal worked, and I found out that Crazy Old Man had already gone to South Peak for lodging. Shiziwo wouldn’t give us a refund. I contacted Ya Tou and Men Tu, and we ended up staying together at Shiziwo. At 6 PM, we started queuing for vegetarian meals—men in one line, women in another. The lodging manager handed each of us a small basin and a pair of chopsticks. Inside the dining hall, men and women ate separately, and speaking during meals was not allowed. After dinner, we wandered around a bit before preparing to rest early. Once in the room, the symphony of snores rose and fell—it was simply painful. Thanks to everyone’s snoring, I woke up around 4 AM. It was raining outside. At 6 AM, we queued again for vegetarian meals. To be honest, the taste wasn’t great—just a small taste.
We left Shiziwo at 6:20 AM, heading toward Jinge Temple while battling the rain. We put on and took off our windbreakers repeatedly, and after a struggle, arrived at Jinge Temple after 7 AM. We saw Ya Tou (who had set off at 6 AM for the group). The sky was still raining. At 8:12 AM, we set off for South Peak. Along the way, we repeated a few simple lines: I said, “I’m tired, let me drink some water.” Huan Chai replied, “Look, we’re almost at the top. We’ll drink when we get there!” Haha!! With these mantras, we made it to South Peak. Before reaching South Peak, there was a long gentle slope. The sky was densely overcast. Just as my hiking partner 10 meters ahead of me shouted, “Hurry up, it’s about to rain hard—you’ll need a raincoat!” I quickened my pace. Oh my goodness!! I was so exhausted I could barely breathe steadily—I even forgot to use my trekking poles. I couldn’t believe how I managed the climbs and descents, just holding the two poles dumbly in my hands. At 11 AM, we saw Fomu Temple. We waited for Huan Chai and Huan Chai’s partner to join, then leisurely toured Fomu Temple before preparing to descend the 1,600 steps. On the way down, we saw a nun leading a 4–5-year-old child, also dressed in monk’s robes. It felt very heartbreaking. I also gave my trekking poles to a tired nun.
At 12:15 PM, we descended from Fomu Temple and walked a short distance to Baiyun Temple. Finally, we had completed our goal—what a workout, haha!! A few of us took a vehicle to visit Xiangying Temple, Temple of the Fifth Lord (Wuye Miao), and other sites, strolling around Taihuai Town. We departed for Wutai Mountain Railway Station at 2:40 PM and arrived there at 4:10 PM. We ate, showered, and at 5:30 PM, returned to Tianjin. This hiking trip to Mount Wutai was truly wonderful—the scenery was especially beautiful right after the rain, with lush mountain vegetation, misty clouds overhead, and incredibly fresh air. It’s truly worthy of being one of China’s famed mountains. Fellow hikers should experience it for themselves.
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