568, Wutai Mountain

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At the foot of Wutai Mountain, the head of the Wutai sect of Buddhism, the head of the "Flying Snow and Cold Ice Five Elements Palm", Che Laifeng, has led all the disciples to embark on the journey of "Huashan Fighting" together with Huyanshan, the head disciple of the Hengshan faction of Beiyue, and his subordinates. Its apricot yellow pie flag, one side of the black book "Wutai Mountain" three words, one side of the big book "Hengshan faction" three words, in the gust of wind blowing, the wind whirring and flashing, pointing to the direction of Huashan →

At this point, it is necessary for us to introduce the background of these five mountain platforms. This mountain is centered on Taihuai Town, Wutai County, Shanxi Province, and has a circumference of 250 kilometers, which is about the same as the number of kilometers around Huangshan. It is surrounded by five mountain peaks, hence the name. The five peaks are towering into the clouds, and the peak is flat and broad, such as the platform of the soil, so it is called Wutai. The five peaks are called Taiwai, the five peaks are called Tainei, the bay of the five peaks is called Taiwan, the five peaks are called Taichung, the Huai of the five peaks is called Taihuai, the north of the five peaks is called Taipei, the south of the five peaks is called Tainan, the east of the five peaks is called Taitung, the west of the five peaks is called Taixi, the top of the five peaks is called the stage, the five peaks are called the stage, the five peaks are called the front of the stage, the five peaks are called the back of the stage, the left of the five peaks is called the left of the stage, the right of the five peaks is called the right of the stage, and the inside of Taiwan is centered on Taihuai Town. Each of the five has its own name, the east platform is Wanghai Peak, the west platform is called the Hanging Moon Peak, the south Taiwan is called the Splendid Peak, the north platform is called the Zhongdou Peak, and the middle platform is the Cuiyan Peak. Among the five platforms, the North Taiye Doufeng is the highest peak, with an altitude of 3058 meters above sea level, known as the "roof of North China".

Wutai Mountain

Wutai Mountain is the first of the four famous Buddhist mountains of "gold, silver, copper and iron" in China, and is also the first batch of AAAA-level tourist areas in the country and the demonstration site of the national civilized scenic tourism area. As early as the Eastern Han Dynasty, there were Buddhist temple buildings in Wutai Mountain, and there are still 47 temple buildings in previous dynasties since the Tang Dynasty. Wutai Mountain is also the only dojo in China where Chinese Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism coexist in the same mountain and preach the scriptures together. Wutai Mountain is the dojo of Buddhist Manjushri Bodhisattva, according to legend, the earliest Buddhist temple here was built in the Eastern Han Dynasty, after generations of repair and expansion, has formed a certain scale. There are 48 existing monasteries and hundreds of monks and nuns. Wutai Mountain has a long history, splendid culture, ancient buildings, cultural relics and treasures, and is an artistic treasure house of ancient Chinese architecture, sculpture and painting. Tang Jiannan Temple, Foguang Temple; Founded in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the magnificent Xiantong Temple and the "Huayan Sutra Pagoda" and other thousands of precious cultural relics have long been famous all over the world. The simple folk customs are seductive and emotional, the anecdotes of historical celebrities are inspiring, and the lives of many monks and nuns are fascinating.

Wutai Mountain, the earliest called Wufeng Mountain, is said to be the heavy mountain complex in the abrupt pull up of five main peaks. After the religious activities prevailed in the mountain, it was found that "the five peaks rise out, and there is no forest on the top, like a platform of the soil", and it was renamed Wutai Mountain according to the development and evolution process of "Taiwan" in Chinese history. In addition, Wutai Mountain also has other names such as Qingliang Mountain, Zifu Mountain, Yuanguang Mountain, Baiyun Mountain, Yanmen Mountain, Linghu Mountain, Wuding Mountain, and Wulong Mountain. or according to historical facts, or according to scriptures, or source legends, all of which are full of interest.

The five main peaks of Mount Wutai are named after the five directions. They are called Dongtai, Beitai, Xitai, Nantai, and Zhongtai. Wutai refers to the fact that the east platform looks at the sea peak and the west hangs the moon peak consistently. The remaining three have undergone changes in history. Beitai, the earliest set as the Yellow Jianshan, later changed to Ye Doufeng; Zhongtai, the earliest set as Ye Doufeng, later changed to Cuiyan Peak; Nantai, the earliest set as Cuiyan Peak, then changed to ancient Nantai, and finally set as Jinxiu Peak. The changes referred to by Wutai should be religious activities in history. It must be an objective reflection of the development from the north to the south.

Today, the five main peaks of Wutai Mountain, the eastern, northern, western, and middle platforms are a series of mountain ranges, and the southern platform is an independent peak. The mountain rocks are mostly composed of gneiss, marble and quartzite, which have high strength and are not easy to erod. The formation of a hilltop gentle, descendable aircraft; The valley is deep and has a special style like a U-shape. Five tops, each with its own landscape. There are Liyue fire beads in the east, Yujian agar in the north, Linong Yao room in the west, Dongguang bead tree in the south, and the gold of self-evidentness and the wall of ring light in the middle peak. A generation of poets asked and exclaimed: "This scene should only exist in the sky, how do you know that you are in the wonderful peak."

Dongtai famous sea peak, 2,795 meters above sea level, the top of Ruoao ridge, ring three miles, built Wanghai Temple. Standing on the platform, you can see that the clouds and mist are diffused in the mountains, revealing a little mountain tip, and its scene is like a floating boat on the sea. The sea of clouds is sometimes calm, soft as silk; Sometimes it churns up and down, and the clouds roll. The peaks of the sea of clouds appear and disappear from time to time, as if they are floating in the rapid waves. Climb to the top to watch the sunrise, you can see a round of red sun jumping out of the sea of clouds, the sea and the sky are red, like red silk, it is spectacular.

Nantai is named Jinxiu Peak, 2,485 meters above sea level, if the top is covered, around the week, there is Puji Temple. "Qingliang Mountain Chronicles" said: "The mountain peaks are steep, the smoke is green, the fine grass is mixed with flowers, the thousands of mountains are spread, and they are still paved with brocade, so they are famous." ”

The name of the west platform hangs the moon peak, the altitude is 2,773 meters, the top is flat and wide, in Tuesday, there is Falei Temple. It is named from a distance when the bright moon sinks in the west, like a hanging mirror.

The name of the north platform is Ye Doufeng, the altitude is 3,000 and 58 meters, it is "the first peak in North China", the top is flat and wide, in Thursday, there is Lingying Temple. There is a saying among the folk that "lie on the top of the north platform and reach out to touch the stars". "Qingliang Mountain Chronicles" contains: "It looks up from below, and the top is a bucket ladle, so it is named." Wind and clouds and thunderstorms, from the half-foot. Sometimes there are showers below, and it is sunny on top of it...... Sometimes the wind and thunder are terrifying. There is a strong wind, blowing people into the stream, if the ears of the leaves. Looking at the sea in the east and the desert in the north. ”

Zhongtai name Cuiyan Peak, 2,894 meters above sea level, the top is flat and wide, in Friday, there is a Yanjiao Temple. The peak sits arm with the north platform and the west platform, overlooks the Jinyang Pingchuan in the south, and overlooks the Yanmen Xiongguan in the north. The peaks and peaks are magnificent, and the green mist floats in the air, so it is called the Cui Yan Peak.

Wutai Mountain in summer

Buddhist holy sites

Wutai Mountain is a well-known Buddhist holy place at home and abroad, and is known as the four famous mountains of Buddhism in China with Emei Mountain in Sichuan, Jiuhua Mountain in Anhui Province and Putuo Mountain in Zhejiang. Wutai Mountain, with its long history and large scale, ranks first among the four famous mountains of Buddhism. Throughout the ages, the emperor worships the building, the high monks are innumerable, the Chinese and foreign Buddhist believers and tourists come one after another, worship the Buddha and visit the mountain.

The five peaks are majestic, the top is flat and wide, the thousand peaks are opened, Zhong Ling Yuxiu, the Buddhists take this as the spiritual area of Foshan. "Dahua Yan Sutra" cloud: "There is a place in the northeast, called Qingliang Mountain, since the past, all the bodhisattvas have stopped in the middle. There are existing bodhisattvas, named Manjushri, and their dependents, all the bodhisattvas, ten thousand people, who are always speaking in it. The "Treasure Dharani Sutra" also says: "The Buddha told the Vajra Secret Trail that after I was extinguished, in the northeast of the former Ganbu Continent, there was a country named Dazhenna, among which there was a mountain, and the name was five peaks. Manjushri boy, parade dwells, for all sentient beings, in the middle of the Dharma. "The Great Earthquake, or Aurora, refers to China. Manjushri, or Manjushri, is a Sanskrit transliteration, one of the Mahayana bodhisattvas of Buddhism, sometimes called Manjushri, sometimes called Manjushri Tongzi, both refer to various transformations. The Huayan Sutra treats Manjushri and Puxian Bodhisattva as the attendants of Shakyamuni Buddha, Manjushri serves on the left, and his statue rides a lion. The general Buddhist scriptures record that Mount Wutai is the area where Manjushri performed and taught.

Shakyamuni was the founder of Buddhism and was born in the 7th-6th centuries BC in the ancient Indian kingdom of Kapila (in present-day Nepal). Shakyamuni's surname is Gautama, his name is Siddhartha, and he is called Buddha after he becomes a Buddha, which means enlightened one. Because his family belongs to the Shakyamuni clan, he is generally called Shakyamuni, which means the sage of the Shakyamuni clan. Shakyamuni was a prince, who had a wife and children, and later became a monk and ascetic, and after attaining enlightenment, he traveled all over ancient India to spread his teachings, and his followers increased more and more. According to the scriptures, the Buddha said that there are five mountains in the northeast, and the left side of the Buddha Shakyamuni, Manjushri Bodhisattva, who specializes in "wisdom", said the Dharma in the middle, therefore, Wutai Mountain is also famous at home and abroad as a Buddhist holy place.

Buddhist origins

In what era did the temple begin to be established on Mt. Wutai?

According to a variety of ancient records, Wutai Mountain had temple buildings in the Yongping period of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Legend has it that Emperor Liu Zhuang of the Han Ming Dynasty dreamed of the golden people sitting on auspicious clouds, floating from the west sky, knowing that there was a Buddha induction, and then sent ministers Cai Chen, Qin Jing and others to the west to visit, to ask for Buddhism. Cai, Qin and others obtained Buddhist scriptures and Buddha statues in Dayueshi, and happened to meet Gao Zeng Morteng and Zhu Falang, who were preaching in Tianzhu (present-day India), and invited them to China together. In the tenth year of Yongping (67 AD), the Buddhist monk Han envoy carried the scriptures and Buddha statues to Luoyang on white horses. When Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty saw the statue of Sakyamuni Buddha, he really believed in Buddhism more and more as he saw in his dream, and then ordered the construction of the White Horse Temple in Luoyang, and took the photographs of Morteng and Zhu Flange to spread Buddhism in China. In the eleventh year of Yongping, the two high monks came to the cool holy realm of Wutai Mountain, saw the hinterland of Taihuai surrounded by five platforms, its mountain-shaped landform and Shakyamuni Buddha's practice place of the Vulture Mountain are not different, after returning to Luoyang, he asked Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty to build a temple in Wutai Mountain. Therefore, Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty issued an edict to build the Dafu Lingqi Temple on Wutai Mountain. Dafu is the meaning of Hongxin. The temple is called the Vulture, which refers to the similarity between the hinterland of Wutai Mountain in the East and the Vulture Mountain in the Western Regions. In this way, Luoyang White Horse Temple and Wutai Mountain's Dafu Eagle Temple became the earliest temples in China. Dafu Lingqi Temple is the predecessor of today's Xiantong Temple.

Historically, with the spread of Buddhism, the reverence of emperors, and the Yixing of high monks, the fame of Wutai Mountain as a manjushri Bodhisattva dojo has spread farther and farther, the status of the rivers and lakes has become higher and higher, and there are more and more temple buildings, and the scale has become larger and larger. In the meantime, there have been the ups and downs of Buddhism, and the situation has been very different from one period to another. Since the Han Ming Emperor took Mo Teng and Zhu Falan to promote Buddhism and build the Dafu Linghu Temple, to the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, more than 200 temples have been built in Wutai Mountain. Zhou Wu extinguished the law, Wutai Mountain, like other places, the destruction of temples was very serious. At the beginning of the Sui Dynasty, the temple was rebuilt, and Buddhism was revived. In the Tang Dynasty, when Buddhism was at its peak, there were more than 360 monasteries in Wutaishan. Tang Wuzong will prosper and extinguish the law, Wutai Mountain Buddhism will fall with it, and the temples will decrease. In the Song, Liao, Jin and Yuan dynasties, although they were built repeatedly, they were destroyed due to war and could not be fully restored. In the Ming Dynasty, Buddhism was revived, and more than 100 temples and courtyards were rebuilt and established in Wutai Mountain. Since the Qing Dynasty, with the introduction of Lamaism into Wutai Mountain, some green temples have been changed to yellow temples, and new yellow temples have appeared, and the two green and yellow temples have their own characteristics, and the monks of Han, Tibet, Mongolia and Manchu have lived in harmony with each other. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China The party and the state have correctly implemented the religious policy, attached great importance to the protection of cultural relics, and allocated a large amount of funds for the maintenance and renovation of temples. Monks also used temples to maintain temples and made up statues with almsgiving coins. Rebuild the temple and renovate the temple. "Picking up a straw is always a golden lion", Wutai Mountain has made great contributions to the development of Chinese Buddhism.

Wutai Mountain, during the Gao Qi period, was the center for the study of the Huayan Sutra in the northern region. The Tang Dynasty monk Chengguan developed the Huayan character to the peak, was the teacher of the Seven Emperors, and was named "Professor Monk", "Qingliang National Teacher" and so on, respected as the four ancestors of Huayan Sect. The real prosperity of the Huayan Sect was during the Chengguan period. The Huayan Sutra narrates that Manjushri said that the ashram was located in the Qingliang Mountain in the northeast. Mount Wutai is not only located in the northeast of Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, but also in the northeast of ancient India, the birthplace of Buddhism. The climate in the mountain is full of ice, and there is still snow in summer, and there has been no hot summer, which is consistent with what the Huayan Sutra says. All this, Wutai Mountain Buddhism invited Manjushri Bodhisattva to settle in the east, renamed Wutai Mountain as Qingliang Mountain, and respected as the dojo where Manjushri Bodhisattva carried his family, paraded and lived, and gave teachings and teachings on the land of China. Subsequently, Manjushri was studied in detail, so that the image of Manjushri continued to grow tall and full, and finally rose to the "teacher of the seven Buddhas" and "the mother of the three Buddhas". It has become the most worshiped Buddhist god for Buddhist believers of all nationalities, and Mount Wutai is also revered as the "golden world" and "cool and pure land". On the basis of learning and inheriting ancient Indian Buddhism, Wutai Mountain Buddhism established a Bodhisattva belief that is different from ancient Indian Buddhism according to China's national conditions, and has achieved a high degree of harmony and unity from the combination of Buddhist theory and Buddhist practice. It has played a typical demonstration role in the final formation of the four famous mountains. In the history of the development of Buddhism in China, it has a decisive influence.

Wutai Mountain is located at the foot of the Great Wall, at the junction of farming and nomadic peoples in history, and has always been extremely valued by the feudal royal family. Since Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty established a summer resort in the mountain, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty, Emperor Yingzong of the Yuan Dynasty, Emperor Shengzu of the Qing Dynasty, and Emperor Gaozong of the Qing Dynasty have all been fortunate to ride Mount Wutai. As for the emperors and queens of all dynasties, they have never stopped and are countless. Turning over the annals of the major temples in Wutai Mountain, the word "Ejian" is always written on the first page. Dignitaries and dignitaries followed suit. Literati and ink writers, swiping their pens and expressing their feelings. Buddhism often meets Longmen guests, and the Hanlin people gather in the Zen forest, which is a true portrayal of the history of Wutai Mountain. Because of this, Wutai Buddhism, with its special position and efficacy in the history of Chinese thought, has always played a vital role in the issue of ethnic unity and integration in the northern region. If the Great Wall is the product of ethnic antagonism, then Wutai Buddhism is a symbol of ethnic integration.

Wutai Mountain has always been a place where famous monks gather. Huiyuan, a monk of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, was born in Yuanping County, at the eastern foot of Wutai Mountain. Tan Luan, Lingbian, Ling Xiu, Fa Cong, and Jiafu in the Northern Wei Dynasty; Liu Qianzhi in the Northern Qi Dynasty; Hui Long and Liberation in the Sui Dynasty; Tang Dynasty's Daoxuan, Peeping, Huixiang, Chengguan, Fazhao, and Jianzhen; the wisdom of the Song Dynasty, enlightenment, and good wisdom; Sutuo Sri of the Jin Dynasty, Hui Hong, and Fa Chong; the Yuan Dynasty's Eight Sipa, Bilba, True Jue, Lixing, Hongjiao, and Haiyun Dashi; In the Ming Dynasty, Dabao Dharma King, Miaofeng, Hanshan, Zibai, Zhencheng, Shi Da Yeshi, Ruxin lawyer, etc., these famous teachers and masters in the history of Chinese Buddhism, or were born locally, or lived in the mountain for many years, or practiced mountain temples for life, all of them have made outstanding contributions to the construction of Buddhism in Wutai Mountain, and even played a huge role in the development of Chinese Buddhism.

The prominent position of Mount Wutai in Chinese Buddhism has attracted many foreign Buddhist believers. During the Tang Dynasty, Wutai Mountain became an institution of higher learning for foreign believers to study and listen to the scriptures. After the Tang Dynasty, foreign monks still continued to worship and visit Wutai Mountain. With its vigorous vitality, Wutai Buddhism continues to spread its influence outward. During the Tang Dynasty, the high monk Cizang of the Silla Kingdom came to Wutai Mountain to study. After returning to Japan, he opened up Mt. Wutai on the Korean Peninsula. With the Zhenruin Temple in Zhongtai as the center, the Manjushri belief was actively propagated, so that the Manjushri belief in China's Wutai Mountain blossomed and bore fruit on the Korean Peninsula. Japan has been influenced by Mt. Wutai Buddhism since the Nara period, and Emperor Shomu imitated the sacred deeds of China's Takeshiten Heaven, and also hung the plaque of Daikagon Temple on the south gate of Todai-ji Temple in Japan. Japan's eminent monk Yuanren's "Pilgrimage to the Tang Dynasty to Seek the Dharma" has a detailed description of Wutai Mountain Buddhism, which has a great influence in Japan. During the Taiping Rejuvenation of the Song Dynasty in China, the monks of Todaiji Temple in southern Japan came to China and worshiped Mount Wutai. After returning to China, he planned to rename Aiyan Mountain as Wutai Mountain, and establish the National University Qingliang Temple in Japan, modeled after the oldest Daqingliang Temple in Wutai Mountain, China. It's a pity that the grand wish comes to appear, and people die first. His disciples asked the imperial court for permission to change the name of the Shakya Hall in the original Qixia Temple to Qingliang Temple, and later became a famous temple that gathered the world's beliefs. The ancient temple of Mount Wutai in China was moved to Japan, and it can be said that the belief in Mount Wutai has spread to East Asia. Today, Wutai Mountain Buddhism attracts many Southeast Asian believers, and there is an endless stream of people worshipping Buddha in the mountains every year.

The Wutai Mountain Buddhist sect is largely divided into two major systems: Qingjiao and Huangjiao. Qingjiao is the general name of Han Buddhism, and has successively had Faxiang Sect, Vinaya Sect, Tiantai Sect, Huayan Sect, Pure Land Sect, Tantric Sect, Zen Buddhism and its subordinate Rinzai Sect, Rinzai Cha Sect, Caodong Sect and so on. Historically, the monks of Xiantong Temple believed that the temple was founded in the hands of Morteng Flange, so they called the temple sect as the Morteng Flange Sect. Its teachings are a combination of Zen Buddhism and Pure Land Buddhism, and the era should not be too early to be clear. Huangjiao is the general name of Tibetan Buddhism. The time when it was introduced to Wutai Mountain, there are two theories of the Tang Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty, and the Qing Dynasty reached its peak. At the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, the imperial court changed the ten green temples of Wutai Mountain to the Yellow Temple, and the monks also changed from monks to lamas. Since then, Han lamas have appeared in Wutai Mountain, which is still rare in the country. Wutai Mountain Yellow Sect, in the Qing Dynasty divided into two major systems: Bodhisattva Ding Zasak and Zhenhai Shouzhangjia. The monks have believers of Han, Manchu, Mongolian, Tibetan and Turkish nationalities, and it has become a holy place for ethnic unity and harmonious coexistence.

Wutai Mountain monastery organization, molecule Sun and Shifang two kinds. The temple of descendants accepts small novices, and ranks them according to the order of master, master, apprentice, and apprentice. A temple is divided into multiple families. In addition to the common property of the temple, each family can also have private property, such as houses, gold and silver, and so on. After the teacher dies, the apprentice has to share the inheritance. The temple strictly stipulates that the ministry of the temple must be carried out by the monks of the temple. The family auctions private property and must sell it to other families in the temple. Most of the temples in Wutai Mountain belong to the Sun Tzu Temple, and he is the basic organizational form that maintains the prosperity of Buddhism in Wutai Mountain. Shifang Temple, not allowed to shave, monks are all called by their peers. The wandering monk entered the temple and hung up the block, which was a natural member of the temple. As long as you keep the precepts and have considerable ability, you can serve in important ministry. The so-called "pigs come to be poor, dogs come to be rich, cats come to wealth, people come to wind, people come to gas." "When popularity comes, there is naturally a strong source of wealth. Wutai Mountain is famous for the Shifang Temple, including the Lion's Den, Qingliang Bridge, Bishan Temple, Shifang Hall and so on. Among them, Bishan Temple has the greatest influence.

Wutai Mountain Temple, known as more than 200 temples in the Northern Qi Dynasty. In the middle of the Tang Dynasty, 64 famous people can be found. During the Song Jiayou period, 72 famous people can be found. In the 31st year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1603), there are 90 inscriptions, which are divided into four levels, including 12 large temples, 5 five-top temples, 39 small and medium-sized temples in the mountains, and 34 quiet names in the mountains and jungles. At the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, the "Qingliang Mountain Chronicles" collected 104 temples, of which five temples within the top of the platform are called Tainei temples, and there are 68 temples; There are 36 temples outside the five Taixiang temples. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, there were ten green temples in the temples of Wutai Mountain, and the ten yellow temples were called. In the two temples of the whole mountain, the first one is called the five major places, there are 3 green temples, which are Xiantong Temple, Tayuan Temple, and Shuxiang Temple; There are 2 Yellow Temples, which are the top of the Bodhisattva and the Luohou Temple. In 1956, it was found that there were 124 temples, including 99 green temples and 25 yellow temples. There are 43 existing temples, of which 37 are inside the platform and 6 are outside the platform.

A treasure trove of architecture

Today, Mount Wutai has become a rare treasure trove of ancient Chinese architecture.

The earliest of the ancient wooden buildings of temples preserved in China is a relic of the Tang Dynasty. The main hall of Nanchan Temple in Wutai Mountain and the east hall of Foguang Temple are the originators and models of wooden architecture in the Tang Dynasty. After the Tang Dynasty, the Song, Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, Qing, and until the Republic of China, all left typical wooden large-scale buildings in Wutai Mountain. The architecture of the Tang Dynasty was solemn and simple, the architecture of the Song Dynasty was soft and gorgeous, the architecture of Liaojin was bold and column-reduced, the architecture of the Yuan Dynasty was rough and natural, the architectural rules of the Ming Dynasty were strict, the architecture of the Qing Dynasty was luxurious and exquisite, and the architecture of the Republic of China period was delicate and complicated. The ancient wooden structure of the temple in Wutai Mountain, the historical evolution is continuous, the building scale is magnificent, the details are fine, the styles are numerous, and the techniques are typical, which is unique in the country. It can be said that the typical buildings of various historical periods preserved in Wutai Mountain are themselves a voluminous history of ancient Chinese temple wooden architecture.

Wutai Mountain, there are also many pagodas and treasure temples. From the perspective of materials used, there are brick towers, stone towers, glazed towers, wooden towers, iron towers, copper towers, silver towers, jade towers, crystal towers and so on; From the point of view of architectural form, there are traffic jam wave tower, dense eaves tower, pavilion tower, pavilion tower, King Kong throne tower, combined tower; In terms of nature, there are pagodas and tomb pagodas. Among the pagodas are the stupas of relics, the pagoda of spiritual miracles and the general offering pagoda. The tomb tower can be divided into a high-growth tomb tower and a general memorial tower; From the point of view of the times, the earliest is the stone pagoda of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and there are all subsequent periods, the latest is the relics pagoda built for the monks of Wutai Mountain in recent years; In terms of scale, the big one is 56.4 meters high, piercing the sky, and wants to be higher than the heavenly test. The small one is only 0.05 meters, that is, 5cm, and is delicate and exquisite. From the perspective of the value of the existing pagodas in the country, the Yuanjian Ashoka Pagoda of Yuanguo Temple, the Shakyamun Buddha Relic Pagoda of Tayuan Temple, the combined copper pagoda of Xiantong Temple, and the word pagoda of Huayan Sutra are all rare treasures and can lead the way. The tower of Wutai Mountain, the history of the long, the number, the wide range of materials, the complete shape, the complexity of the nature, are rare in the same kind of areas in the country.

For the Buddha statues in Wutai Mountain, the number of Buddha statues in the relevant departments has reached 17,445 in a survey of 37 temples alone. The Buddha statues in the whole mountain may be doubled by this number. In terms of materials and production, it can be roughly divided into eight types: clay sculpture (including suspension plastic and molding), metal casting (iron, copper, gilt, gold), stone carving (including jade carving. It can be divided into full carving, relief carving, cliff carving), wood carving, porcelain burning, yarn rubbing, embroidery, portrait (including murals, shaft paintings, scroll illustrations and leaf paintings). The earliest Buddha statue is a relic of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and the art technique of Jiandra is obvious. The most Buddha statues are clay sculptures, which have been continuous since the Tang Dynasty, forming a unique and complete history system. The rarest is the Ming Dynasty famous painter Ding Yunpeng painted on the leaves of the Bodhi tree eighteen Arhats, a total of 12 pieces, singular painting single, even painting double, Gongbi heavy color, a total of one volume. Wutai Mountain Buddha statue, the raw materials are different, the craftsmanship is different, the techniques of the times are different, the whole work is red and purple, mottled and separated, and Wutai Mountain is enriched into a rare Buddha art treasure house.

Panoramic view of Mount Wutai

Map of Wutai Mountain Scenic Area

Wutai Mountain Raiders

【Access】

There are two routes to Wutai Mountain, one is to take an air-conditioned car (more than 200 kilometers) from Taiyuan City, and the ticket price is 43 yuan.

One is to take a tourist bus (48 kilometers) from Wutaishan Railway Station, with a ticket price of 10 yuan.

If you are going to Wutai Mountain from the direction of Taiyuan, it is best to take a long-distance bus from Taiyuan, because sometimes there are fewer people from Wutaishan Railway Station to Wutai Mountain, and people are not satisfied with the car, otherwise it will cost 200 yuan to purse the car.

If you want to go from Wutai Mountain to Hengshan and Datong, you can take a bus to Wutaishan Railway Station first, and then transfer to a long-distance bus to Datong (via Hengshan).

From Beijing: The train to Wutai Mountain once arrived at 4 a.m., and there were vans waiting at the station every day, but there were few people in the off-season, and it was difficult to get a carload of people. If there are few tourists in the north, it is best to arrange a trip to Taiyuan in the off-season, and then take a car from Taiyuan to Wutai Mountain, so that the grasp is greater.

【Tickets】

The student ID cards mentioned below include the graduate student card.

The entrance ticket is 90 yuan per person, and the student ID card can be used at half price.

The ticket price of temples in Taiwan is generally not more than 5 yuan per person, and small temples generally do not charge tickets. Student ID holders can ask two people to purchase one ticket together, and there is no separately printed student ticket.

Shuxiang Temple: 4 yuan

Tayuan Temple: 4 yuan

Xiantong Temple: 6 yuan

Yuanzhao Temple: 4 yuan

Bodhisattva top: 5 yuan

Rahu Temple: 4 yuan

Jifukuji Temple: 4 yuan

If you are accustomed to giving merit, you should have extra change, and there are places everywhere for charity.

Now enter Wutai Mountain to charge 90 yuan per person for entering the mountain, on the top of each platform to sit in the car of the travel company, a single top is 50 yuan / person, adjacent to the two platforms together need 80 yuan / person (only the east and north platform, the middle and west platform are considered adjacent to the platform), if the five all together to 186 yuan / person. The fees are more expensive.

【Accommodation】

Standard rooms in general-sized hotels can be rented for 50 yuan per room, and there is no air conditioning. The average summer temperature in Wutai Mountain is at least 10 degrees cooler than in Beijing, so air conditioning is optional.

Living in a private home in Taihuai Town can be 8~10 yuan per person/night

【Clothing】

In the middle of summer in July, the night temperature in Wutai Mountain is still very low, and long-sleeved and long-pants clothing is a must.

It is rainy in the mountains, so it is best to bring regular rain gear, and if you only want to bring a convenient raincoat, at least one per day.

【Food & Shopping】

The food in the town is relatively cheap, and various flavors of noodles in Shanxi are recommended, such as 栲栳栳, 莜面纥栳, 栜面砳, 栜栴子, knife-cut noodles, oil cake, green onion cake and so on. When you arrive in Wutai Mountain, you might as well try vegetarian rice, and it is best to go to a special vegetarian restaurant.

When it comes to shopping, supermarkets and shops are all bargains, so don't forget if you need to buy groceries.

The special souvenirs of Mount Wutai are mainly rosaries, amulets, wooden bowls and mushrooms, and I personally recommend prayer beads and amulets because you can go to the temple and ask Master to consecrate. The production of wooden bowls is relatively general, and the characteristics of Taishan cannot be seen. If you can cook at home, you might as well buy a few packs of Taiwan mushrooms, you can get ten yuan for three packs, remember to buy the kind of small and dark, restaurants in Taihuai Town use this kind of mushrooms to make Taiwan mushroom specialties.

【Suggestion】

The marginal cost of going to Wutai Mountain is higher, but the cost of staying in Taihuai Town for a few more days is not high, so you might as well calm down and enjoy it slowly, the purer and thriving Buddhist culture here is rare elsewhere, and the scenery of Wutai Mountain is still good.

Source: Lotto Travel Comprehensive

The earliest record of the name of Wutai Mountain in the official history is the Book of Northern Qi and the Biography of Bai Jian. Because it accumulates ice all year round, the climate in the mountain is cold, thaws in April every year, the snow is covered in September, the top of the platform is icy for many years, the climate is cool in midsummer, and there is no heat at all, so it is also called "Qingliang Mountain". In the Northern Wei Dynasty, the Gongfo Temple was built here, and there were more than 200 temples in the Northern Qi Dynasty. Emperor Wen of Sui Emperor Yang Jian once ordered to build a temple on each of the five tops, and set up a monument. In the Tang Dynasty, monks from Japan and other countries came to worship. At the time of Kaiyuan (713~741), Wutai temples reached their peak, with 12 large temples, and of course there were 10 temples at that time. Who is right and who is wrong, we don't have to delve into it here. As long as you know, in the prosperous era of the Tang Dynasty, the Wutai Monastery also followed the prosperity for a while. At that time, all sects and sects of Chinese Buddhism were active in Wutai Mountain, so it was impossible for it to be dominated by any sect or sect! The world is for the public!

In the 61st cave of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, there is a historical portrayal of the situation of the mountain monasteries in the first and fifth dynasties of the Wutai Mountain Map. It is said that this picture was transmitted to Japan in the Tang Dynasty, and then to Dunhuang, and was painted into the Dunhuang painting, after all, it was returned to its original owner. After the fall of the Tang Dynasty, the emperors of the Song, Yuan, Ming and early Qing dynasties all built temples on Wutai Mountain. After the middle of Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty (1796~1820), Mount Wutai began to decline gradually. Ming Dynasty "Qingliang Mountain Chronicles" records, the Eastern Han Dynasty Yongping period of the first temple building of Wutai Mountain, according to legend, the west side of Taihuai Town, and the ancient Indian Vulture Mountain, so the first temple of Wutai Mountain is called Dafu Vulture Temple, has now been renamed Xiantong Temple. Since then, Wei, Qi, Sui, Tang and to the end of the Qing Dynasty, it has been repeatedly built and has undergone great changes. Now there are 39 temples in Taiwan, 8 outside Taiwan, the building is magnificent, the carving is exquisite, and the colored painting statues are all over the temples. The whole mountain, the temples are numerous, the clear stream is murmuring, the green mountains and green waters, and the scenery is beautiful. The more famous temples are Xiantong Temple, Tayuan Temple, Bodhisattva Ding, Shuxiang Temple, Nanchan Temple, Foguang Temple, Yanqing Temple, Guangji Temple, etc. There are still many sculptures, inscriptions, tomb towers, Buddhist scriptures, etc. on Wutai Mountain, which are of great significance and status in the history of Chinese Buddhism, and have high historical, artistic and appreciation value.

However, who would have thought that at the beginning of these five generations of troubled times, the Wutai Mountain faction in the Jianghu martial arts world would appear from then on. Who would have thought that this car would lead the subordinates to die for?

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