Wutai Mountain travel guide

Railways and highways are the main ways to reach Mount Wutai.

In the middle of Mount Wutai lies a small town that seems to be cradled by the five peaks, hence its name Taihuai Town (台怀镇). It is the centre for visiting Mount Wutai's scenic spots and its transport hub. Much of the town is taken up by monasteries, and the rest is mostly residences and shops.

From Beijing to Mount Wutai, take the Jingshi Expressway from Liuli Bridge and exit at Baoding. Follow the provincial road to Fuping, then join the Fuping Expressway directly to Mount Wutai. The whole journey takes about 3 hours.

You can take a train from Beijing, Taiyuan or Datong to Wutaishan Station or Xinzhou Station, then transfer to a bus to Taihuai Town.

The long-distance bus station in the centre of Taihuai Town lies between Taihuai Town and Nanshan Temple. It has buses to destinations across the region, and also offers taxis for touring Mount Wutai.

1. Taiyuan East Bus Station runs 7 buses daily to Mount Wutai. The full fare is ¥82.

2. Long-distance buses from Taiyuan are not punctual. If too few people buy tickets, the bus will be cancelled, which happens especially often in the afternoon. The expressway journey to Mount Wutai takes about 3 hours.

3. In the peak tourist season, the Liuli Bridge Long-Distance Bus Station in Beijing, the Shijiazhuang Long-Distance Bus Station and the Datong Long-Distance Bus Station all run long-distance tourist buses to Mount Wutai.

Taiyuan—Taihuai Town; Xinzhou—Taihuai Town; Datong—Taihuai Town; Shuozhou—Taihuai Town; Dingxiang County—Taihuai Town; Fanshi County—Taihuai Town; Fuping County (Hebei)—Taihuai Town; Liuli Bridge Bus Station (Beijing)—Taihuai Town; Shijiazhuang North Station—Taihuai Town.

Wuye Temple is located inside the Wanfo Pavilion. It is small in size but famous far and wide, and is said to be very efficacious.

Wutaishan Station is 38 km from the scenic area. Outside the station, there are public shuttle buses, passing coaches and private minibuses to Taihuai Town.

The most wondrous natural sight on Mount Wutai is the 'halo' that casts the shadows of visitors. Ordinary rainbows usually appear after rain in the form of an arc. On Mount Wutai, however, rainbows appear even without rain, in the shape of a circular ring, and sometimes with two concentric rings. Even more remarkably, within the multicoloured ring, scenes may appear: birds, beasts, halls, Buddha statues, and even the observer. This magnificent and mysterious natural phenomenon, formed by a combination of physical, geographical, meteorological and other conditions, has long been regarded by the religious community as the 'treasure that guards the mountain.'

1. On the way to Mount Wutai, avoid giving rides to strangers. If you must give someone a lift, check their ID carefully, or your kindness may become a tool for them to scam you.

2. Enter the scenic area before visiting temples. Do not stop at temples along the way.

3. If you are cheated, do not be too upset. If the amount is large, report it to the police promptly.

Taihuai Town has many restaurants, and guests staying at family guesthouses can dine on Yanglin Street, which is very convenient.

Once you reach Taihuai Town, the heart of Mount Wutai, you can savour local flavours in the town’s restaurants. You can also visit family guesthouses to taste the home-cooked local dishes prepared by your hosts.

Well-known snacks in the Mount Wutai scenic area include oat noodles and wantuo (savoury bowl-shaped pancakes). However, the vegetarian fare deserves special mention. As you visit this Buddhist holy site, be sure to try the distinctive Buddhist vegetarian dishes.

If you are not from Shanxi and have not yet tried Shanxi noodle dishes in Taiyuan, try chao balanzi (stir-fried flatbread), griddle pancakes, youmian kaolaolao (oat-flour dumplings), fried glutinous rice cakes, knife-cut noodles and maoerduo (“cat’s ear” pasta). Choose a restaurant with a wide range of seasonings for the noodles. Other local specialties that are also well known include sorghum-flour yuyu noodles, youmian wowo (oat-flour buns), Baode wantuo, Fanshi bingbing (pancakes), Daixian mapian (sesame crisps), Xinzhou wasu (crisp snacks), Wucai pork and vermicelli stew, and Hequ sour porridge.

Taihuai Town is the centre of the Mount Wutai scenic area, so accommodation is convenient. The town has many family guesthouses, typically built as “one hall, two bedrooms”: a central hall flanked by two bedrooms on either side. The rooms are bright, tidy and neat. Many family guesthouses also have heated kang beds, which suit visitors who are frail or sensitive to the cold, and they can provide home-style meals, which makes things very convenient. Further from the main street in Taihuai Town (for example, near Jifu Temple at the northern end), there are also many budget family guesthouses with private bathrooms and TVs, where you can shower and eat. Meals are charged separately, and prices are very reasonable.

1. About 2.5 km south of Taihuai Town (in the direction of the mountains) is Nanshan Temple. Nearby is a cluster of hotels. Each one occupies a large site and offers much better facilities than those in town, and prices are naturally high. They are especially expensive during peak season, often higher than comparable hotels in big cities. The best option is Friendship Hotel.

2. Between Taihuai Town and the Nanshan Temple hotel cluster is the long-distance bus station. Almost all long-distance buses stop here on the way down the mountain, so staying here is very convenient for transport.

Distinctive Mount Wutai souvenirs include Tai inkstones, Wutai Mountain prayer beads, Xianglong walking sticks and wooden bowls.