Mt. Wutai, known as ''the roof of North China'' and the most holy land of Chinese Buddhism, is situated in Wutai County in Xinzhou Region of Shanxi Province. It covers an area of 2,837 square kilometers with the average altitude over 1,000 meters.
It is rated the first group of national scenic spots and the top 10 scenic spots in Shanxi province. It is as famous as Mt. Emeishan in Sichuan Province, Mt. Putuoshan in Zhejiang Province, and Mt. Jiuhuashan in Anhui Province, all of which are renowned as the four sacred Buddhist Mountains. And the nature gives Mt. Wutai the soul and it makes Mt. Wutai a masterpiece work. Its predominantly beautiful sceneries are the Wanghai Peak in the east, Guayue Peak in the west, Jinxiu Peak in the south, Yedou Peak in the north, and the central Cuiyan Peak.
Mt. Wutai is a showcase of classical Chinese architecture, sculpture and painting. In addition, Mt. Wutai International Tourist Month is a major tourist event, which takes place annually from July 25 to August 25. And if you can visit Mt. Wutai during July and August, you will have the privilege of witnessing something truly unique.

Tayuan Temple
During the reign of Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty a large sarira dagoba was constructed in Tayuan Temple. The temple was designed with the sarira dagoba as the center, with the main hall in the front and the Buddhist scripture chamber (library) at the back. The dagoba was surrounded by balustrades and a courtyard was attached to it in the east. The whole design was neat and well balanced.
It is a Lamaist dagoba on a square base, composed of a huge Sumem pedestal, an inverted-bowl body, and a thirteen-tier steeple crowned by a canopy, a crescent moon and a precious bead. Fifty meters high, it is one of the tallest Lamaist dagobas. The dagoba is brick inside and coated with white lime outside, so it is also called the White Dagoba, a landmark of Mount Wutai. The canopy, crescent and bead on the top, all made of copper and gilded, glitter bright under the sunlight. There are 252 little bells hanging from the umbrella-shaped canopy and around the middle of the dagoba, adding special charm when they jingle in the wind.
The construction of Tayuan Temple was recorded on a stone tablet dating back to July 1582 during the reign of Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty. The record was composed by the prime minister, Zhang Juzheng. It provides valuable data for studying the construction of the dagoba.

Xiantong Temple
The Xiantong Temple is located in the north of Taihuai Town, Wutai Mountain, Shanxi Province.
Wutai Mountain in Shanxi Province is one of the most famous five Buddha locations in China and the largest and oldest one of the five. The Xiantong Temple, originally named Dafulinjiu Temple, was first built in the Yongping reign of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220). It is the ancestor Buddhist temple in Wutai Mountain. According the History of Qingliang Mountain, Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) rebuilt it and expanded it into twelve courtyards, with a garden in the front, so it was also called Garden Temple. It is renamed to the Great Huayan Temple in the reign of Wu Zetian in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The temple was further expanded in the period of the Sui (581-618) and Tang Dynasties, and twelve courtyards were built around the temple with pagodas in the front. It was reconstructed by Emperor Taizu in the early years of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and was conferred a stele that reads the Great Xiantong Temple by the emperor. It was after the repair in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) that it formed the large scale we see today.
The temple has an area of 80,000 square meters with more than 400 constructions of different types, most of which were built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. There are chains of mountains and old cypresses around the temple. Taking up an area of more than 8 hectares, the constructions have a compact layout. There are seven halls in the axis, respectively, the Kwan-yin Hall, the Bodhisattva Hall, the Great Buddha Hall, the Wuliang (Amita) Hall, the Qianbo Wenshu Hall, the Copper Hall, and the Sutra Storing Hall. All types of constructions are located on both sides of the axis, such as wing-rooms, side halls, stalls, meditation rooms, abbot courtyard houses, and monks' rooms, altogether more than 300 rooms. The Great Buddha Hall has a double-eave gable and hip roof, with corridors around and inward shrinkage in the corners. The front eaves are decorated with patterns of dragon and phoenix, with beautiful shape and skillful engraving.
Because the Xiantong Temple is the largest and oldest temple among the temples in Wutai Mountain, it is also called the Ancestor Temple. Pilgrims usually pay a formal visit to the Xiantong Temple first.

Cifu Temple
Cifu Temple with secluded and very spiritual is the excellent examples of Tang and Song Dynasty temples. The temple locate at the south of Zixia valley of Pulong hill with the layout in long riband. It was originally built in the year of Daoguang in Qing Dynasty, and it's one of the most special of construction style in the temples of Wutaishan. Total covers 7,800 square meters and place the 80 rooms in it.

Nanshan Temple
This temple was first built during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), and is comprised of seven different terraces, subdivided into three parts. The Jile Temple hosts the lower three terraces, with the Shande Hall encompassing the middle terrace, and the remaining three terraces are included in the Yanghuo Temple on the upper terrace.
Other Temples on the mountain include Luohou Temple, Guangren Temple, and Shuxiang Temple.

Shuxiang Temple
Shuxiang Temple is the southwest neighbor of Tayuan Temple. Built in Yuan Dynasty(1271-1368), it covers 6,400 square meters, and encompasses over 50 places and halls. Among them Manjusri Pavilion is the largest one in the center of the Taihuai Country, with Majusri Bodhisattva's statue in it. A clear spring flows out of the temple named "Banruo" or "Parjna", meaning "adding wisdom", whose water was used in the courts.

Mt. Wutaishan
Mt. Wutaishan, an important Buddhist mountain with superb natural conditions, is home to over 600 kinds of plants, of which more than 150 are used as rare herbs. There is also a local product that can be found on this mountain, Taimo, a type of mushroom with high nutritional value. On the mountain, many artworks have been preserved due to the plethora of temples found here. Among the temples on the mountain, Foguang Temple and Nanchan Temple have the longest history.