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Pusading Si. Wutai Shan, Shanxi Mount Wutai, originally sacred to Daoism, became one of the earliest places in China to embrace the new Buddhist faith. According to the Avatamsaka Sutra, an Indian monk had a vision of Bodhisattva Manjushri here in the first century AD, and the mountain has been regarded ever since as the abode of Manjushri. By the Northern Wei period, the mountain's temples were important enough to be represented on a mural at Dunhuang. Pusading Si was especially favored by emperors Kangxi and Qianlong, who stayed here when making pilgrimages to Wutai. At that time, the ancient temple was rebuilt in Imperial Qing style, allowed the favor of Imperial yellow roof tiles, and put in charge of all other temples on the mountain. Its present buildings and layout therefore date to the Qing Dynasty.
Pusading Si. Wutai Shan, Shanxi Mount Wutai, originally sacred to Daoism, became one of the earliest places in China to embrace the new Buddhist faith. According to the Avatamsaka Sutra, an Indian monk had a vision of Bodhisattva Manjushri here in the first century AD, and the mountain has been regarded ever since as the abode of Manjushri. By the Northern Wei period, the mountain's temples were important enough to be represented on a mural at Dunhuang. Pusading Si was especially favored by emperors Kangxi and Qianlong, who stayed here when making pilgrimages to Wutai. At that time, the ancient temple was rebuilt in Imperial Qing style, allowed the favor of Imperial yellow roof tiles, and put in charge of all other temples on the mountain. Its present buildings and layout therefore date to the Qing Dynasty.

Pusading

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3 min read

One hundred and eight stone steps lead up from the temple valley floor to Pusading, the Bodhisattva Summit Temple. The number is not arbitrary. In Buddhist tradition, 108 represents the number of worldly worries that cloud the human mind, and the climb is meant to be a shedding -- one worry released with each step, so that by the time a pilgrim reaches the top, they arrive emptied and ready. The steps are worn smooth by fifteen centuries of feet making this same ascent.

Where Manjushri Preached

The name Pusading translates roughly as "Bodhisattva Summit," and the legend behind it is direct: the bodhisattva Manjushri -- Wenshu in Chinese -- is said to have revealed himself and preached at this very hilltop. The temple carries a second name, too: Spiritual Black Eagle Peak, a reference to Griddhraj Parvat (Vulture Peak) near Rajgir in the ancient Indian kingdom of Magadha, where the historical Buddha delivered some of his most important sutras. The comparison is deliberate. It positions this Shanxi hilltop as a Chinese echo of one of Buddhism's most sacred Indian sites, linking the two traditions across thousands of kilometers and centuries of transmission.

Empires and Emperors

Pusading was first established during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei dynasty (467-499), when it was called the Great Temple of Wenshu. In 631, the Buddhist monk Fayun rebuilt the temple during the Tang dynasty and renamed it Zhenrong Temple. But the Qing dynasty left the deepest imperial mark. The Kangxi Emperor (1654-1722) personally inscribed a plaque with characters praising the "beautiful site of Lingjiu Peak" and hung it beneath the shanmen gate. A second imperial plaque, also in the Kangxi Emperor's hand, declaring the "beautiful site of Mount Wutai" hangs on a stone paifang before the Wenshu Hall. These are not casual dedications -- the Kangxi Emperor was one of the most powerful rulers in Chinese history, and his calligraphy on a temple plaque was an act of state-level endorsement.

The View from the Summit

The temple structure at Pusading is considered the finest of all Mount Wutai's monasteries, and its elevated position explains why. From the summit, the entire Taihuai Town temple valley spreads out below -- the Great White Pagoda of Tayuan Temple, the green-roofed halls of Xiantong Temple, the smaller compounds dotting the hillsides. The temple was designated a National Key Buddhist Temple in Han Chinese Area in 1983, a recognition that formalized what pilgrims had known for centuries. In 1948, the Communist military commander Chen Yi passed through Mount Wutai on his way to the revolutionary headquarters at Xibaipo and composed a poem praising the scenery -- even in wartime, the view from the summit demanded acknowledgment.

From the Air

Located at 39.01N, 113.59E at the summit of a hill overlooking the Taihuai Town temple valley on Mount Wutai, Shanxi Province, China. The temple's elevated position makes it one of the more visible compounds from the air. Elevation approximately 1,750 meters. The 108-step stone stairway leading up to the temple is visible as a light-colored linear feature on the hillside. Nearest airports: Wutai Mountain Airport (ZBWT) at roughly 50 km and Taiyuan Wusu International Airport (ZBYN) approximately 230 km southwest. Recommend 2,000-4,000 feet AGL for the best view of the temple in its hilltop setting.

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