简介:MountWutai(FiveTerraces)liesinthenortheasternpartofWutaiCounty,Shanxi.AmountainchainoftheTaihangMountains,itoverlooksTaiyuanoffthesouth,isseparatedfromtheHengshanMountainstothenorth,andconnectswiththeYonmenPassatitsnorthwestend.Withacircumferenceofsome250kilometers,coveringanareaof376squarekilometers,MountWutaiisactuallyadusteroffiveflat-toppedpeaks——thenorthern,southern,eastern,western,andmiddlepeaks——standinginacircle.Thetopsofthesefivetoweringpeaksaresolargethateachofthemmeasuresfrom6to7hectares.SincetheSouthernandNortherndynasties(420-589),greatnumbersoftempleshadbeenbuiltoverthemountainsuntilitbecameamountainparticularlyfamousforitsoldbuildingssurvivinginChina.Accordingtoa1956census,therewereinMountWutaiatotalof122temples,with47well-preservedandthreelistedasnationalprotectionstatus.