Mount Wutai

The Six Districts & Distribution of Temples

The key temples in the Mount Wutai are divided into several districts or scenic spots. The Taihuai District consists of Buddhist architectural complexes and Buddhist holy sites. The Longquan Temple District features Buddhist pagodas and stone-carving art treasures. The Nanshan Temple District integrates humanistic landscapes with natural environments. The Nanliang Gutter District presents a picturesque leisure area. The Wutai Summit District showcases cultural landscapes and the geological treasures of the Great Terrace (da chaotai). The Jinge Temple District as cool and refreshing holy place possesses Buddhist statue treasures. The Foguang Temple District features Tang Dynasty wooden architecture as living fossils. Other famous temples nearby also form part of the Mount Wutai Scenic Area. There are a total of 126 temples in the area, twelve of which are Tibetan temples (Huang temples), including the Pusading, Luohou, Guanghua Temple, Guangren Temple, Wanfoge Temple, Shangshan Wealth Cave, Zhenhai Temple, Guanyin Cave, Ruiying Temple, Wenshu Temple, Tailu Temple, and Tiancheng Temple. The rest of the temples are Han Buddhist temples (Qing temples).

Temples in Foguang Temple District

There are two temples in the district, Foguang Temple and Nanchan Temple. Both Nanchan Temple and the major hall of Fongguang Temple, the Great East Hall, were built during the Tang Dynasty, making the district famous for preserving classical Chinese architecture. The main hall of the Nanchan, the Great Buddha Hall dated to 782, is currently China's oldest and second largest timber building extant. Built in 857, the Great East of Foguang Temple is the third oldest. Temples in the district were rediscovered by the twentieth-century architectural historian Liang Sicheng (1901-1972) in the later 1930s.

Temples in Taihuai District

Taihuai Town, where the Taihuai District is located, is situated in the core area of Mount Wutai. Many temples locate in the Taihuai Scenic District, including most of the classic Buddhist temples. Currently, among all the 126 temples in Mount Wutai, the Taihuai District alone has 40 temples, including famous temples such as Xiantong Temple, Tayuan Temple, Pusading Temple, Wanfoge Temple, Dailuo Peak, Luohou Temple, Yuanzhao Temple, Shuxiang Temple, and Bishan Temple.

Temples in Nanshan Temple District

Temples in Longquan District

Temples in Nanliang Gully District

Temples in Wutai Peak District

. The Taihuai Town is surrounded by the five major peaks of Mount Wuhe, namely, Dongtai (the East Peak), Xitai (the West Peak), Nantai (the South Peak), Beitai (the North Peak), and Zhongtai (the Central Peak). Hence, it is called "Taihuai" (“embraced by peaks”).

Temples in Jige Temple District

Temples nearby Wutai