The gorgeous mountainous, monastic enclave of Wutaishan is Buddhism’s sacred northern range and the earthly abode of Manjusri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom. As the most holy land of Chinese Buddhism, Wutaishan lies in Wutai County in Xinzhou Region, Shanxi Province. It is rated on both the list of the first group of national scenic spots designated by the State Council, and the list of the Top 10 scenic spots in Shanxi Province. It is as famous as Mt.Emei in Sichuan Province, Mt.Putuo in Zhejiang Province, and Mt.Jiuhua in Anhui Province, all of which are renowned as the four sacred Buddhist Mountains. It covers an area of 2,837 square kilometers, and its five main peaks, positioned east, south, west, north, and in the middle, embrace one another with broad and plain terraces rather than forests on their tops. That is why it bears the name "Wutaishan" (Five Terrace Mountains)
With the average altitude of over 1,000 meters, its apex, the summit of the northern peak which is famed as being the "Roof of Northern China", reaches 3061.1 meters. Besides the religious aspect, the beauty of rising and falling ridges of mountains, exotic rocks, crisscrossed gullies, crystalline waters and towering green forests also give the mountain its reputation as a colorful and notable scenic resort.
For hundreds of years, Wutaishan has been China's most sacred Buddhist ground mainly because it was where the highly revered Manjusri, the Bodhisattva of wisdom, once lived and taught Buddhism. Furthermore, Wutai Mountain is China's only holy mountain where both Chinese Buddhism and Tibetan Lamaism are practiced.
There are now 42 intact ancient temples on the mountain including the Nanchan Temple, Xiantong Temple and Tayuan Temple.