One of China’s most supreme examples of Buddhist cave art, these 5th-century caves are simply magnificent. With 51,000 ancient statues and celestial beings, they put virtually everything else in the Shānxī shade. Carved by the Turkic-speaking Tuoba, the Yúngāng Caves drew their designs from Indian, Persian and even Greek influences that swept along the Silk Road. Work began in AD 460, continuing for 60 years before all 252 caves, the oldest collection of Buddhist carvings in China, had been completed.
Pass through the slick visitors centre and a re-created temple on a lake before arriving at the caves. You may find some caves shut for restoration and this is done on a rotational basis; at the time of writing Caves 11 to 13 were closed to visitors. That still leaves around 40 showcasing some of the most precious and elegant Buddhist artwork in China. Despite weathering, many of the statues at Yúngāng still retain their gorgeous pigment, unlike the slightly more recent statues at Lóngmén in Hénán. The caves that are deeply recessed, in particular, have been well protected from the outside weather, although the penetration of water from above is a constant hazard.
A number of caves were once covered by wooden structures. Many of these are long gone, although the very impressive Caves 5 to 13 are still fronted by recently constructed wooden temples.
Some caves contain intricately carved square-shaped pagodas or central columns which you can circumambulate, while others depict the inside of temples, carved and painted to look as though they're made of wood. Frescoes are in abundance and there are graceful depictions of animals, birds and angels, some still brightly painted, and almost every cave contains the 1000-Buddha motif (tiny Buddhas seated in niches).
Eight of the caves contain enormous Buddha statues; the largest can be found in Cave 5, an outstanding 17m-high, seated effigy of Sakyamuni with a gilded face. As with many here, the frescoes in this cave are badly scratched and vandalised, but note the painted vaulted ceiling. Bursting with colour, Cave 6, the Cave of Sakyamuni, is also stunning, resembling an overblown set from an Indiana Jones epic with legions of Buddhist angels, Bodhisattvas and other celestial figures. In the middle of the cave, a square block pagoda or column fuses with the ceiling, with Buddhas on each side across two levels. Most foreign visitors are oblivious to the graffiti in bright red oil paint on the right-hand side of the main door frame within the cave, which reads 大同八中 (Dàtóng Bāzhōng; Datong No 8 Middle School), probably courtesy of pupils during the Cultural Revolution. The frescoes here are also badly scratched by recent visitors from the years of turmoil – the 40-year-old date '76.12.8' is etched crudely.
The dual chamber Cave 9, the Aksokhya Buddha Cave, is an astonishing spectacle too, with its vast seated and gold-faced Buddha.
Caves 16 to 20 are the earliest caves at Yúngāng, carved under the supervision of monk Tanyao. Cave 16, the Standing Buddha Cave, contains a huge standing Buddha whose middle section is badly eroded. The walls of the cave are perforated with small niches containing Buddhas. Cave 17 houses a colossal 15.6m seated Maitreya Buddha, badly weathered, but intact. Examine the exceptional quality of the carvings in Cave 18; some of the faces are perfectly presented. Cave 19 contains a vast 16.8m-high effigy of Sakyamuni.
Entirely exposed to the elements, Cave 20 (AD460–470) is similar to the Losana Buddha Statue Cave at Lóngmén, originally depicting a trinity of Buddhas (the past, present and future Buddhas). The huge seated Buddha in the middle is the representative icon at Yúngāng, while the Buddha on the left has somehow vanished. Prayer mats are arrayed out front so that pilgrims can worship.
Some effigies, such as in Cave 39, have had their heads crudely bludgeoned off. Past the last set of caves, you can turn off the path down to the slick and highly informative museum (9.30am-5pm) detailing the Wei Kingdom and the artwork at the caves. Sadly, English captions are very limited.
Most of the caves, however, come with good dual Chinese/English captions. English-speaking tour guides can be hired for ¥150; their services include a trip to the museum. Note that photography is permitted in some caves but not in others.
To get to the caves, take bus 603 (¥3, 45 minutes) from Dàtóng train station to the terminus. Buses run every 10 to 15 minutes. A taxi from Dàtóng is around ¥40 each way. You will pass the rather less appealing Dàtóng Coal Mine en route.
Great Wall
oBā TáiziRUINS
(八台子 Bā Táizicūn, 八台子村 h24hr)F
Alongside magnificently dilapidated earthen sections of the Great Wall that disappear over the top of Horsehead Hill (马头山; Mǎtóu Shān), a fabulous Gothic church ruin is quite a sight. All that remains of the Holy Mother Church (圣母堂; Shèngmǔ Táng), built in 1876, is its front gate and bell tower and lopped-off spire above it. No explanation for the church's demise is given in the blurb on the board alongside, nor how the church arrived in such a remote spot.
Fourteen recently built stations of the cross lead the way to the church ruin. You can hike along the wall for some thrilling views, but pack water.
This entire area is very near the border with Inner Mongolia. To reach Bā Táizi, hop on a bus (¥18, regularly 6.15am to 6.20pm, 80 minutes) from Dàtóng's main bus station to Zuǒyún (左云), then negotiate with a taxi driver to take you to Bā Táizicūn (八台子村), around 20km away. Expect to pay between ¥80 and ¥100 return; the driver will wait for you for around 30 minutes. If you want to spend longer hiking along the wall, you will need to pay the driver more to wait for you.
If you ask nicely (or cross the driver's palm with a bit more silver), the driver may take you up winding mountain roads to a scenic lookout on top of Mótiān Lǐng (摩天岭), on the road to Liángchéng (凉城), where you can get an elevated perspective down onto the earthen Great Wall trailing off into the distance.
The last bus to Dàtóng leaves Zuǒyún at 6.30pm.
Hanging Monastery
Hanging MonasteryMONASTERY
(悬空寺, Xuánkōng Sì ¥130; h8am-7pm summer, 8.30am-5.30pm winter)
Built precariously into the side of a cliff, the Buddhist Hanging Monastery is made all the more stunning by its long support stilts. The halls have been built along the contours of the cliff face, connected by rickety catwalks and narrow corridors, which can get very crowded in summer. It's a sight to behold, but we hear that the access up into the monastery itself might (understandably) eventually be closed owing to the large number of visitors. Get here soon.
Buses travel here from Dàtóng’s main bus station (¥31, two hours). Most will transfer passengers to the monastery into a free taxi for the last 5km from Húnyuán (浑源). Heading back, you’ll be stung for ¥20 for a taxi (per person) to Húnyuán. If you want to go on to Mùtǎ, there are frequent buses from Húnyuán (¥14, one hour), or shared taxis make the run from the monastery car park for ¥50 per person (when full).
Mùtǎ
Mùtǎ TowerPAGODA
(木塔 ¥60; h7.30am-7pm summer, 8am-5.30pm winter)
Built in 1056, this impressive five-storey tower is the world’s oldest and tallest (67m) wooden pagoda. The clay Buddhist carvings it houses, including an 11m-high Sakyamuni on the 1st floor, are as old as the pagoda itself. Due to its fragile state, visitors can no longer climb the pagoda, but there are photos of the higher floors to the side of the pagoda.
Mùtǎ is located in unlovely Yìngxiàn (应县). Buses from Dàtóng’s south bus station (¥32, two hours) run to its west bus station (西站; xīzhàn). From there, get public bus 1 (¥1) to Mùtǎ, 2km up the road. Hourly buses return to Dàtóng until 6pm, or you can travel onto Tàiyuán (¥90, 3½ hours, last bus 2.30pm).
Déshèngbǎo
DéshèngbǎoVILLAGE
(得胜堡 )
A good place to see some raw sections of the Great Wall is little-visited Déshèngbǎo, a 16th-century walled fort almost on the border with Inner Mongolia that is now a small farming village. The fort’s north and south gates are still standing, as are parts of its walls. Walk through the village (many of i
ts houses are built out of Great Wall bricks) to the north gate and beyond it you’ll see wild wall – 10m-high sections of it.
To get here, take a minibus to Fēngzhèn (丰镇; ¥19, one hour) from opposite Tónghé Dàfàndiàn, next to Dàtóng train station. The bus will drop you at the turn-off for Déshèngbǎo, from where it’s a 1km walk to the south gate. Heading back, return to the highway and flag down any Dàtóng-bound bus.
Wǔtái Shān 五台山
%0350 / Pop 10,600
The mountainous, monastic enclave of Wǔtái Shān (Five Terrace Mountains) is Buddhism’s sacred northern range and the earthly abode of Manjusri (文殊; Wénshū), the Bodhisattva of Wisdom. Chinese students sitting the ferociously competitive gāokǎo (university entrance) exams troop here for a nod from the learned Bodhisattva, proffering incense alongside saffron-robed monks and octogenarian pilgrims.
A powerful sense of the divine holds sway in Wǔtái Shān and the port-walled monasteries – the principal sources of spiritual power – find further amplification in the sublime mountain scenery.
The forested slopes overlooking the town eventually give way to alpine meadows where you’ll find more temples and great hiking possibilities. Wǔtái Shān is also famed for its mysterious rainbows, which can appear without rain and are said to contain shimmering mirages of Buddhist beings, creatures and temple halls.
Avoid Wǔtái Shān during the holiday periods (first week of May in particular) and high-season weekends.
Climate
Wǔtái Shān is at high altitude and powerful blizzards can sweep in as late as May and as early as September; check ahead to ensure the roads are passable. Winters are freezing with snow; summer months are the most pleasant, but always pack a jacket, as well as suitable shoes or boots for rain, as temperatures fall at night. If you are climbing up the peaks to see the sunrise, warm coats can be hired.
History
It’s believed that by the 6th century there were already 200 temples in the area, although all but two were destroyed during the official persecution of Buddhism in the 9th century. During the Ming dynasty, Wǔtái Shān began attracting large numbers of Tibetan Buddhists (principally from Mongolia), for whom Manjusri holds special significance.
1Sights
Enclosed within a lush valley between the five main peaks is an elongated, unashamedly touristy town, called Táihuái (台怀) but everyone simply calls it Wǔtái Shān. It’s here that you’ll find the largest concentration of temples, as well as all the area’s hotels and tourist facilities. The five main peaks are north (北台顶; běitái dǐng), east (东台顶; dōngtái dǐng), south (南台顶; nántái dǐng), west (西台顶; xītái dǐng) and central (中台顶; zhōngtái dǐng).
There’s a steep ¥218 entrance fee for the area – including a mandatory ¥50 ‘sightseeing-bus’ ticket (旅游观光车票; lǚyóu guānguāng chēpiào) for transport within the area, valid for three days. Some of the more popular temples charge an additional small entrance fee. On the way in, the bus will stop at a large visitors centre where you buy tickets and reboard after your tickets are checked. Note that your bus might drop you behind the main town area from where you'll need to walk to the main drag. From the main bus station in Wǔtái Shān, you can jump on a free shuttle bus along the main road to get to different points.
Táihuái Temple Cluster
More than 50 temples lie scattered in town and across the surrounding countryside, so knowing where to start can be a daunting prospect. Most travellers limit themselves to what is called the Táihuái Temple Cluster (台怀寺庙群; Táihuái Sìmiàoqún), about 20 temples around Táihuái itself, among which Tǎyuàn Temple and Xiǎntōng Temple are considered the best. Many temples in Táihuái contain a statue of Manjusri, often depicted riding a lion and holding a sword used to cleave ignorance and illusion.
oTǎyuàn TempleBUDDHIST SITE
(塔院寺, Tǎyuàn Sì GOOGLE MAP ; ¥10; h6am-6pm)
At the base of Spirit Vulture Peak (灵鹫峰; Língjiù Fēng), the distinctive white stupa rising above, Tǎyuàn Temple is the most prominent landmark in Wǔtái Shān and virtually all pilgrims pass through here to spin the prayer wheels at its base or to prostrate themselves, even in the snow. Even Chairman Mao did his tour of duty, staying in the Abbot Courtyard in 1948.
Beyond the Devaraja Hall (Hall of Heavenly Kings), with its candlelit gilded statue of Avalokitesvara (instead of Milefo, who you usually find in this position), at the rear of the Dàcí Yánshòu Hall is an altar where worshippers leave canned drinks as offerings to Guanyin. Hung with small yellow bells chiming in the Wǔtái Shān winds, the Great White Stupa (大白塔; Dàbái Tǎ) dates originally from 1301 and is one of 84,000 stupas 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.
oXiǎntōng TempleBUDDHIST SITE
(显通寺, Xiǎntōng Sì GOOGLE MAP ; h6am-6pm)F
Xiǎntōng Temple – the largest temple in town – was erected in AD 68 and was the first Buddhist temple in the area. It comprises more than 100 halls and rooms. The Qiānbō Wénshū Hall contains a 1000-armed, multifaced Wenshu, whose every palm supports a miniature Buddha. The squat brick Beamless Hall (无梁殿; Wúliáng Diàn) holds a miniature Yuan dynasty pagoda, remarkable statues of contemplative monks meditating in the alcoves and a vast seated effigy of Wenshu.
Further on, up some steps is the blindingly beautiful Golden Hall, enveloped in a constellation of small Buddhas covering the walls. Five metres high and weighing 50 tonnes, the metal hall was cast in 1606 before being gilded; it houses an effigy of Wenshu seated atop a lion.
Further Temples
North beyond Xiǎntōng Temple, is a cluster of temples that you can explore. Yuánzhào Temple (圆照寺; Yuánzhào Sì GOOGLE MAP ; ¥6) contains a smaller stupa than the one at Tǎyuàn Temple. A 10-minute walk south down the road, Shūxiàng Temple (殊像寺; Shūxiàng Sì GOOGLE MAP ) can be reached up a steep slope beyond its spirit wall by the side of the road; the temple contains Wǔtái Shān’s largest statue of Wenshu riding a lion.
For great views of the town, you can trek, take a chairlift ( GOOGLE MAP ; 1 way/return ¥50/85; h7am to 5pm) or ride a horse (¥50 one way) up to the temple on Dàiluó Peak (黛螺顶; Dàiluó Dǐng GOOGLE MAP ; ¥10), on the eastern side of Qīngshuǐ River (清水河; Qīngshuǐ Hé). For even better views of the surrounding hills, walk 2.5km south to the isolated, fortresslike Nánshān Temple (南山寺; Nánshān Sì GOOGLE MAP ; ¥4), which sees far fewer tour groups than the other temples and has beautiful stone carvings.
WORTH A TRIP
ANCIENT WOODEN TEMPLES
Two of the oldest wooden buildings in China, dating from the Tang dynasty, can be found at Fóguāng Temple (佛光寺； Fóguāng Sì ¥15; h8am-6.30pm) and Nánchán Temple (南禅寺；Nánchán Sì ¥15). Not many visitors make it out here, but it's worth the journey for the sheer rarity and the tranquillity. Many of the buses between Wǔtái Shān and Tàiyuán pass through the countryside where they are located, so both can be seen as a day trip.
2Activities
Opportunities for hiking are immense, but there are no good maps, and no marked trails. Contact the Runaway Youth Hostel for organised hikes and mountain-bike rides. Roads lead to the summits of the five main peaks, so you can take a taxi up to one of them before hiking back into town using the road as a bearing. Minibuses run to all five peaks for ¥350 (7.30am departure, return 5pm). They can be found at the big car park by the chairlift to Dàiluó Peak.
4Sleeping
While Wǔtái Shān attracts tens of thousands of tourists, accommodation is fairly basic and most hostels are identical in terms of pricing and standard. Touts are happy to lead you to family-run hotels with decent rooms from ¥100. Find one that's close to the main road so you can easily get to the temples.
oRunaway Youth HostelHOSTEL$
(Runaway国际青年�
��舍, Runaway Guójì Qīngnián Lǚshě %0350 654 9505, 186 3604 2689; [email protected]; Xiazhuang Village, 下庄村 dm ¥50, d & tw ¥128-148; hclosed Oct-Apr; iW)
Húběi owner Zhou Jin is a passionate traveller who set up this 15-room hostel with his local wife in a quiet southwestern section of the mountain. Enter via a cosy lounge area that leads up to clean, hotel-standard, private rooms and rooftop bunk rooms, all with en suite. Ask about organised hikes and mountain-bike rides to the peaks.
Take internal shuttle bus 4 from Zhēnhǎi Temple (镇海寺, Zhènhǎi Sì) to the terminal station (西线换乘区, Xīxiàn Huànchéng Qū), then walk up the hill 100m and look for a YHA sign; the hostel is on the left. Phone ahead to check that the shuttle bus is running.
6Drinking & Nightlife
As a sacred Buddhist mountain, Wǔtái Shān does not have much in the way of bars; continue on to Píngyáo for a drink.
8Information
ATMs are found in the visitors centre and along the town's main road.
China PostPOST
(中国邮政, Zhōngguó Yóuzhèng GOOGLE MAP ; h8am-7pm)
South of the bus station.
8Getting There & Away
Bus
Buses from Wǔtái Shān bus station (五台山汽车站; Wǔtái Shān Qìchēzhàn GOOGLE MAP ; %0350 654 3101):
ABěijīng ¥145, five hours, 9am and 2pm
ADàtóng ¥75, four hours, three daily, 7.30am, 1pm and 2pm, summer only
AHanging Monastery ¥65, three hours, one daily, 8.30am
ATàiyuán ¥75, five hours, hourly, 6.30am to 4.30pm
Lonely Planet China Page 72