Wutaishan: Pilgrimage to Five Peak Mountain May 25, 2007

The sacred mountain Wutaishan (Mount Wutai), located in Shanxi Province, China, is believed to be the earthly abode of the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, Manjushri, and for a thousand years it has been a focus of transnational pilgrimage for the Chinese, Tibetans, Mongols and Manchus alike. A number of prominent historical figures were seen as emanations of Manjushri on earth, traveling there and contributing to the popularity of the site. As Manjushri was seen as the patron deity of China, Wutaishan was also a focus of imperial attention, and rulers tied their own legitimacy to this deity and promoted his cult at Mount Wutai, blurring and intertwining religious, state, ethnic and even artistic identity.