Vegetarian practice at Mount Wutai

Mount Wutai is one of the four famous Buddhist mountains in China, along with Mount Putuo in Zhejiang province, Mount Emei in Sichuan province and Mount Jiuhua in Anhui province. Its Manjusri ashram (a spiritual monastery) has attracted countless tourists and pilgrims every year for worship. Many pilgrims wish to practice vegetarianism at Mount Wutai as a way to show their sincerity and respect to Buddhism.

Tourists can have a vegetarian meal by registering at Baiyun, Puhua and Cihang temples every morning (no later than 10:30am). One should bear in mind that diners must avoid talking and making noise while eating. There are two bowls for everyone, one for rice and the other one for dishes. If one bowl of rice is not enough, you can let us know by putting the bowl by the edge of the table, and the Buddhist in charge will give you a refill. If the food is too much for you, just consume as much as you can, leaving the rest untouched. Put bowls upside down after finishing the meal to let Buddhists know that no more food is needed, and remember to put chopsticks on the table.

Visitors can also dine at vegetarian restaurants jointly established by the local Buddhist association. Though all the food there is made of soybeans, it tastes like meat. Such dishes are a local specialty at Mount Wutai. Senior Buddhists will play Buddhist music and chant scriptures for prayer while you dine. Yi Zhan Ming Deng and Miao Ji Xiang are two popular local vegetarian restaurants where visitors can choose various dishes to taste.