Spring Festival Buddhist ceremonies on Mount Wutai

Xiantong Temple, on Mount Wutai holding a 21-day ceremony. [Photo / wutaishan.city.sohu.com]

This is a good time to visit Mount Wutai, in Shanxi province, the Spring Festival, when the red walls stand out against the white snow, and the magnificent temples and pagodas against the blue sky, and grey paving stones stark against the evergreens, and this year, a large number of people from all over the world found that to be true.

Since the first day of the lunar New Year, Feb 19 this year, the mountain's major temples -- Tayuan, Bishan, Yuanzhao, Nanshan, Luohou, Guangren, Zhenhai, Puhua, Baiyun, and Longquan -- and the Fomu and Guanyin grottoes started their ceremonies, praying for world peace, prosperity, happiness, and good harvests. Mount Wutai brings together Han and Tibetan Buddhist traditions and is considered an "Oriental Buddhist Capital", with many relics, and permanent residences.

Here is a collection of photos about the various ceremonies or gatherings in the mountain during the Spring Festival.

Nuns from Pushou Temple, on Mount Wutai, coming up the mountain to Dailuoding Temple, on Feb 19. [Photo / wutaishan.city.sohu.com]