Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
all the area's hotels and tourist facilities. The five main peaks are north ( beitai
ding ), east ( dongtai ding ), south ( nantai ding ), west ( xitai ding ) and central
( zhongtai ding ).
More than 50 temples lie scattered in town and across the surrounding
countryside, so knowing where to start can be a daunting prospect. Most trav-
ellers limit themselves to what is called the Taihuai Temple Cluster (Taihuai
Simiaoqun; ), about 20 temples around Taihuai itself, among which Tayuan
Temple and Xiantong Temple are considered the best. You could spend weeks
exploring the mountain area, investigating temple after temple.
TAYUAN TEMPLE
( Tayuan Si; admission ¥10) At the base of Spirit Vulture Peak ( Lingjiu
Feng), the distinctive white stupa rising above, Tayuan Temple is the most
prominent landmark in Wutai Shan and virtually all pilgrims pass through here
to spin the prayer wheels at its base or to prostrate themselves, even in the
snow. Hung with small yellow bells chiming in the Wutai Shan winds, the mar-
vellous Great White Stupa ( Dabai Ta) dates originally from 1301 and is one
of 84,000 dagobas built by King Asoka, 19 of which are in China. The Great
Sutra-Keeping Hall is a magnificent sight; its towering 9th-century revolving
Sutra case originally held scriptures in Chinese, Mongolian and Tibetan.
Buddhist
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