Fashionable winter visits to Mount Wutai for its Buddhism

Winter beauty at Mount Wutai. [Photo/wutaishan.city.sohu.com]

Mount Wutai, in Shanxi province is a great summer resort thanks to its cool weather in the heat, while in winter the snow and cold have generally kept people from coming up – until recent years.

Now it is seeing an increase in the number of winter visitors, with groups from all over the country coming on the first day of this new year, when some visitors from Shanghai commented that the grey tiles, stone paths, and red lanterns all looked brighter against the snow, giving winter a festive look that is completely different to its summer face. Other visitors from Guangdong province said the mountain has more appeal to southerners in winter, because they seldom have the opportunity to see a snowy mountain like this one.

People who work in tourism say there are generally three types of winter visitors -- the younger crowd who love to relax amongst nature, the pious Buddhists who want to make a good start by praying, and the business people who believe in the tradition of donating money to a temples so the gods will bring them more money in return.

Because of its elevation, Mount Wutai's peak was bathed in snow this year. Previously, the road up the mountain wasn't really usable in winter, but now, with a new highway, it is quite convenient getting up, so the hotels don't close in winter anymore. The mountain is also offering more winter activities such as skiing and Spring Festival celebrations, making it as lively in winter as in summer.