The Fourth Mount Wutai Int'l Cultural Tourism Month got off to a big start, on June 26, on Mount Wutai, Shanxi province, and is expected to last to July 26.

The scenic spot of Mount Wutai

This Fourth year's Cultural Tourism Month theme is "Improving eco-leisure tours for a beautiful Buddhist destination". It is intended to build a more culture-oriented Mount Wutai with leisure tours, sightseeing, and an ideal place for conventions and exhibitions. During the month, there will be cultural tourism activities with a seminar, art and crafts exhibition, Buddhist forum, China hotel forum, and an international photography exhibition to showcase Buddhist culture and the ancient structures and gorgeous landscape of Mount Wutai.

The Tenth Mount Wutai Int'l Photography Exhibition

The mountain is in the north-eastern part of Shanxi province and is one of the Four Sacred Mountains of Chinese Buddhism. It has five peaks, the highest of which is 3,061 meters above sea level and is referred to as the "roof of northern China". Wutai is home to the world's largest group of historic Buddhist sculptures, and it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, in 2009. Nearby Taihuai, a part of Wutai county, has 47 temples that are China's earliest and largest collection of Buddhist temples. At the end of the month, Shanxi will start a restoration campaign for five famous temples on Mount Wutai -- Pusa Ding, Xian Tong, Luohou, Longquan, and Jinge, which is expected to take three months for each and cost of 8.7 billion yuan. It will be completed next year.

The scenic spot of Mount Wutai

The scenic spot of Mount Wutai