Mount Wutai, Sacred Buddhist mountain in Xinzhou, China.
Mount Wutai features five distinctive peaks with flat summits and reaches 3,061 meters (10,033 feet) at its highest point, making it the tallest peak in North China. The mountain complex covers 18,415 hectares and houses over one hundred functioning temples from different periods throughout history.
Temple construction began during the Han Dynasty and reached its peak during the Tang Dynasty when over a thousand religious structures were built. Continuous development across the centuries established this site as one of China's most important Buddhist centers.
This site holds a central place in Chinese Buddhist tradition as one of the Four Sacred Mountains, dedicated to Manjushri Bodhisattva who embodies wisdom. Visitors and pilgrims come to worship in the many temples and experience the religious importance of the location.
Visitors can reach the site by bus or air and should prepare for changing weather conditions since the elevation leads to rapid temperature shifts. Sturdy footwear and protective clothing are important for your time on the mountain terrain.
The site is known for housing some of China's oldest surviving wooden structures, including the Nanchan Temple dating from the Tang Dynasty period. These rare architectural examples allow visitors to witness ancient building methods and craftsmanship from that era.
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