Mount Wutai

Wutaishan is a national park of China in Shanxi Province. The name translates as "Mountain of five heights", which got its name due to 5 roundish peaks: Western, Northern, Southern, Eastern and Central. The maximum height of the mountain is 3,058 meters, and the area of the park itself is 367 ^km2.

Mount Wutaishan is one of the sacred mountains of Buddhism. Wutaishan was the first to receive the status of a sacred mountain, according to the Avatamsaka sutra, which describes the places of life of bodhisattvas. This mountain was described in the sutra as the "pure cold mountain" on which the Bodhisattva Manjushri lives. It is also an alternative name for the mountain. It is believed that Manjushri often visits the mountain, transforming into pilgrims, unusual five-colored clouds, or monks.

Wutaishan has a large number of examples of ancient architecture, which has been preserved since the time of the Tang Dynasty, which ruled in 618-907. For example, the main hall at Nanchang Monastery and the east hall at Fuguang Monastery were built in 782 and 857, but modern Chinese were only able to discover them in 1937-1938. It is for its great culture that this area is valued. On the mountain, you can see the Nanshan Temple "Temple of the Southern Mountain", consisting of 7 terraces divided into 3 parts. Xiantong and Taiyuan temples are also equally important.

In 2009, Wutaishan National Park was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for this the Chinese had to evict part of the population from the park. Pilgrims and tourists from all over the world come to Wutaishan all year round. There are more than 120 temples and over 40 monasteries in the park. Up to half a million visitors visit the park every year, wishing to explore Buddhist and Taoist monasteries.