(五台山)

Mt.Wutai(五台山)

Ladies and gentlemen，

Welcome to Mt.Wutai.First，I'll briefly introduce Mt.Wutai to you.

Mt.Wutai is one of the four most famous Buddhist Temples in China.It is located in northeast Xinzhou District in Shanxi Province and most of its scenic spots are located in the Huaitai Town ofWutai County，while some small parts are in Fanshi，Dai County and Fuping County in Hebei Province.Mt.Wutai is famous for the five peaks and the eternally running Qinshui River.The essence of Mt.Wutai is the Buddhist temples.

Mt.Wutai is the vivid summary of the common characteristics of the five peaks.The five peaks of the mountains are tall platforms，so it is called Mt.Wutai(“Wu”in Mandarinmeans“5”，while tai is“platform”).Mt.Wutai is more than 2，700 meters above the sea level and the north summit is 3，058 meters high，making it the highest peak in Northern China.Hence it is known as the“Roof of North China”.Shanxi Province is located on the Loess Plateau，so most of it is dry，but Mt.Wutai is an exception.Here the trees are tall，weather is cool，and the ground is covered with vegetation.Because it has beautiful and spectacular scenery，Mt.Wutai isa well-known summer tourist attraction.Though it lies in a deep valley，transportation to it is very convenient.

Mt.Wutai is famous mainly because it is the holy land for Buddhists.How did Mt.Wutai become the Buddhist holy land? During the Eastern Han Dynasty(68 A.D.)，two Indian monks preached Buddhism in China.When they came to Mt.Wutai，they saw that its mountain topography was almost identical to the place where the Sakyamuni Buddha meditated and worshipped.After they returned to Luoyang，they asked the emperor of Han to build a monastery in Mt.Wutai and the Temple was then constructed.The temple was the Xiantong Temple's predecessor，which is as famous as the White Horse Temple in Luoyang，one of China's earliest Buddhist temples，so Mt.Wutaihas become the Buddhist holy land.During the Northern and Southern Dynasties，Mt.Wutai had more than 200 temples，and during the Tang Dynasty，this number grew to 360.These temples housed more than 3，000 Buddhist monks and nuns.However，during Tang EmperorWuzong's reign and Zhou Emperor Shizong's reign practically all of Mt.Wutai's Buddhist Temples were destroyed.During the Song，Yuan，Ming and Qing dynasties，the temples were gradually rebuilt.During the Ming Dynasty，Mt.Wutai had nearly 104 temples.Kangxi，Qianlong and Jiaqing，the three early Qing Dynasty Emperors，attached great importance to Mt.Wutai and constantly made heavy investments in temple construction there.By the late Qing Dynasty，Mt.Wutai had a total of 122 temples and more than 1，000 Buddhistmonks and nuns.

Mt.Wutai now just has a little more than 50 temples.But among the four most famous Buddhist temples，Mt.Wutai is still the most popular tourist attraction.Mt.Wutai's Tang，Song，Liao，Jin，Yuan，Ming and Qing Dynasty Buddhist temples have grand architecture marked by rigor and continuity.It is a wonderful place to study and appreciate the ancient Chinese architecture from the Tang Dynasty onward.In addition，the inscriptions of Buddhist sculptures are highly skilled and diversified in form，such as clay，brass and jade carvings，making Mt.Wutai the best place to appreciate the evolution of Buddhist sculpture art.

The small town in front of us is called Dongye town，and about10 kilometers in the north west of the town is our first tour destination-Nanchan Temple.

Nanchan Temple

Here we are.Before climbing Mt.Wutai from the south，we'll first visit this ancient temple，which is the most valuable heritage in Mt.Wutai，because Nanchan Temple has the oldest existing wooden structure-the Large Buddhist Hall.Youmay know，Shanxi Province's many still existing old buildings make it known as China's outdoor museum and the best place in the country to study older architecture.Most ancient architecture of Shanxi Province is concentrated at Mt.Wutai，and the Nanchan Temple is one of the mountain's most ancient buildings.

Nanchan Temple is located on one side of the Galaxy River，near a small village in WutaiCounty.The temple faces the south，with both the front and the back facing a ridge.Lush forests，clear streams，and red walls surround the temple.Nanchan Temple has stood in this beautiful environment for 1，200 years.The temple is not big，with a total area of over 3，000 square meters，and is 60 meters long from north to south，51 meters in width.It has two courtyards，six halls.

The Large Buddha Hall is the main building in the temple，which has three rooms outside and one room inside，supported by 12 wooden pillars.The walls are not loaded.Their main purpose is to protect the building from storms and separate inside and outside of the hall.This is a typical Tang Dynasty architectural style.According to the inscriptions on the beams，we can see that this temple was reconstructed in 782 A.D.，has existed for above 1，200 years，and it is the elder brother of all the existing wooden structure buildings in China.This is the reason why Nanchan Temple is famous worldwide.The statues are from the Tang Dynasty.In the center is the Sakyamuni Buddha，while the Samantabhadra and Bodhisattva are on both sides of the hall; the rest of the statues and disciples are other kings，which create a good solemn Buddhist community and harmonious atmosphere.They are vivid，artistic masterpieces，and their styles and colors are the same as Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes.There are 70 brick statues surrounding the Buddhist altar，which rank among the Tang Dynasty's most valuable artistic treasures.Indeed，when you are in Nanchan Temple，it is like entering an art hall of Tang Dynasty and you may wonder how the building and its treasures could be so well preserved.We can find the answer in three ways.The first factor is the mountain's high terrain and dry climate，which are conducive to preserving such relics.The second factor is its geographical location.Nanchan Temple is far away from Taihuai Town，where most temples concentrate and because it was not very noticeable，the temple was able to escape from the mass destruction and robbery in the aftermath of the Tang Dynasty's collapse.The last factor is the diligence of the local population in ensuring that the temple was protected and maintained.For these reasons the 1，000-year-old Nanchan Temple is well preserved.After the Liberation，the Chinese local and national governments have paid special attention to the ancient temple，listing it as a key national culture relic unit and allocating special funds for its maintenance.As a result，Nanchan Temple has been well protected.Now our tour to Nanchan Temple is over，I'll take you to enjoy another famous Tang Dynasty architectural masterpiece，the Foguang Temple.

Foguang Temple

This is the Foguang Temple.Known as the“Gem of China”，it has a long history and grand scale.It is surrounded by mountains to the east，south and north，but opens out to the west.Numerous pine trees standing around the Foguang Temple give its immediate environment a green complexion and elegant appearance.The Foguang Temple has many Northern Wei Dynasty relics and inscriptions，which are relatively rare now.When talking about the artistic value and historical value of the temple，we must mention its discoverer-Liang Sicheng，who was an architecture expert and son of the modern thinker，Liang Qichao.In the summer of 1937，Liang Sicheng and four other professors excitedly went to the Mt.Wutai.They had been to Dunhuang before and among its many bright and colorful murals，one caught their attention: on the pictures，there were ancient temples and many visitors，and a tower not seen before.

In the Foguang Temple，Professor Liang Sicheng found this tower，which was the same as the one on the paintings.After 1，400 years，the tower still existed! It is an historic relics of the Northern Wei Dynasty.It is not only ancient architectural treasure，but also the monument of the culture exchange between China and India.Liang's discovery far exceeded his expectations: in addition to the“ancient tower”，the Foguang Temple also turned out to be an ancient treasure house.Since its discovery，the Foguang Temple has been seen as belonging not just to China，but to the entire world as well.Some foreign scholars have publicly called it the“Asian Temple”.

Foguang Temple was built during the Northern Wei Dynasty and was destroyed later.Themain hall of Foguang Temple we see now was built in the Tang Dynasty.Because it is located on the high ground in the east，it is called East Basilica.The Buddha altar is in the Foguang Temple's center and above it，there are three Buddha and Bodhisattva and other 35 Buddha statues.This is a standard Tang Dynasty arrangement and is similar to the statue placement in Gansu Province's Dunhuang Grottoes.There are also Bodhisattvas squatting on the tall rosette.This kind of statue is also rare in China-the only other places it can be found is at the Dunhuang Grottoes in Gansu and Huayan Temple in Datong.

This is my entire introduction.Thanks for your cooperation.Ido hope my introduction is helpful and enjoyable.I wish you have a pleasant journey.

女士们、先生们:

欢迎大家来中国四大佛教名山之首的五台山旅游观光。首先，我向大家介绍一下五台山概况。

五台山是第一批国家级风景名胜区，位于山西省忻州地区东北部，风景区绝大部分坐落在以台怀镇为中心的五台县境内，有小部分跨繁峙、代县和河北阜平。五台山的壮美风景在于它的东西南北中五座高峰和奔流不息的清水河。五台山的名胜精华则是它那众多佛教寺庙。

五台山这一名称是对五座山峰的共同特点的形象概括。东西南北中五座高峰的山巅都是高大的缓坡平台，所以叫五台山。五台的海拔高度多在2700米以上，最高的北台海拔达到3058米，为华北第一高峰，素有“华北屋脊”之称。地处黄土高原的山西，绝大部分地区干旱少雨，而五台山则是个例外。这里山高林深，气候凉爽，降雨较多，植被覆盖率很高，风光秀丽，景色壮观，有清凉山之称，是旅游避暑的胜地。五台山虽然山高谷深，但对外交通比较方便。

五台山主要是以佛教圣地而名扬天下的。那么五台山是如何成为佛教圣地的呢?东汉明帝永平十一年(公元68年)，印度两位高僧摄摩腾、竺法兰在中国传播佛教。他们来到五台山，见五座台顶拱围台怀腹地，其山形地貌与释迦牟尼佛的修行地灵鹫山几乎相同，返回洛阳后就奏请汉明帝去五台山修建寺院。明帝准奏颁旨，在五台山修建了大孚灵鹫寺，即今天显通寺的前身，成为与洛阳白马寺齐名的我国最早的佛寺之一，五台山也就成为佛教圣地。从此五台山的佛寺越来越多，香火日盛一日。到南北朝时，五台山已有寺庙200多处，唐代更达到360多处，有僧尼3000余人。但由于唐武宗、周世宗两次大规模灭法，佛寺几乎全部被毁。宋、元、明、清，五台山的佛寺逐渐得到恢复和发展，明朝时寺庙已近104处。清朝的康熙、乾隆、嘉庆诸帝均对五台山佛寺极为重视，不断投入巨资予以修建，到清末，五台山共有寺庙122处，僧尼1000多人。

五台山现有寺庙50余座，尽管与历史上不能相比，但在四大佛教名山中仍然是寺庙最为集中，香火最为旺盛的。而且五台山的佛寺，唐、宋、辽、金、元、明、清各代以及民国均有遗存，建筑宏伟，式样繁多，精细严整，手法典型，连续性强，本身就是一部唐代以来中国建筑史，是研究和欣赏中国古建筑的难得场所。另外，寺内佛教造像手法多样，技艺高超，泥塑、木雕、铜铸、玉雕应有尽有，是欣赏我国佛教造像艺术发展演变的最佳场所。

前面这个小城叫东冶，东冶镇西北10余里便是我们这次五台之行的第一个游览点--南禅寺。

南禅寺

南禅寺到了。我们从南路上五台山，首先游览这座古刹。南禅寺内有我国现存最古老的木结构建筑--大佛殿。大家可能知道，山西素有地上文物博物馆的美誉，现存古建筑，其数量之多、价值之高都居全国之首。山西的古建筑以五台山地区最为集中，而五台山的古建筑又以南禅寺最为古老。

南禅寺位于五台县阳白乡李家村附近小银河一侧的河岸土崖上，庙宇坐北朝南，迎面和背面各有一道山梁，寺旁渠水环绕，林木繁茂，红墙绿树，碧水青山，极为幽静。南禅寺就是在如此美丽的环境中已经存在了1200多年。寺院并不大，占地约3000多平方米，南北长60米，东西宽51米，分两个院落，共有殿堂六座。

大佛殿为寺院主体建筑，面宽和进深都是三间，而内里却是一大间，是单檐歇山顶建筑，共用十二根巨柱支撑殿顶，墙身并不负重，只起间隔内外和防御风雨侵袭的作用。四周檐柱柱头微微内倾，四个角柱稍高，使得层层伸出的斗拱翘起。这样，大殿既稳固又俏丽，是典型的唐代建筑风格。据大殿横梁上题记可知，此殿重建于唐德宗建中三年(公元782年)，距今已有1200多年，是中国现存所有木构古建筑的老大哥。这也是南禅寺海内外闻名的主要原因。殿内的塑像都是唐代作品，以释迦牟尼佛为中心，两旁是文殊、普贤二位菩萨，其余为大弟子阿难和迦叶及护法天王等群像，主次分明，错落有致，营造出佛界肃穆而和谐的良好氛围。其风格与敦煌莫高窟彩塑如出一辙。佛坛四周嵌有砖雕70幅，是唐代砖面浮雕艺术杰作，同样颇具艺术价值。置身大佛殿内，犹如进入一座唐代艺术殿堂，不论建筑，还是塑像、砖雕均是稀世国宝。

走出大佛殿，大家可能会产生这样的疑问，这样一座唐代建筑为何能够完好地保存下来?答案应有三方面:从地势和气候上说，这里高而背风，较为干燥，有利于木构建筑物的完好保存;从所处地理位置上讲，南禅寺远离寺庙最集中的台怀闹区，藏于偏僻山乡之中，不太引人注意，所以能够躲过唐代以后历次大规模灭法和刀兵之劫;最后还要归功于当地人民群众的精心保护，免去了可能发生的其他人为破坏。正是这几个方面的原因，使南禅寺这座千年古刹得以保存。新中国成立后，国家对古刹极为珍视，把它列为全国重点文物保护单位，拨专款进行维护，进而使南禅寺得到了更好的保护。

我们的南禅寺之行暂且到此，下面我带大家去欣赏与南禅寺齐名的另一处唐代古建筑--佛光寺。

佛光寺

这就是在佛刹中被誉为“中华瑰宝”的佛光寺，它是一座历史悠久、规模宏伟的佛教寺院。佛光寺东、南、北三面环山，只有西向开阔，寺因山势而建，坐东朝西，整个寺区松柏苍翠，殿宇巍峨，环境清雅;寺院布局疏朗，排列有序。寺内有北魏以来的建筑和许多文物古迹，这在全国都是比较少见的。讲到它的艺术价值和历史价值我们不能不提起它的发现者--我国古建筑专家梁思成(近代思想家梁启超之子)先生。

1937年的夏天，梁思成先生等四位教授，兴冲冲地来到五台山，在这之前，他们曾去了敦煌，在绚丽多彩的众多壁画中，有一幅五台山图，特别引起他们的注意，画面上古刹林立，游人不绝，还有一座不曾见到过的宝塔……

在佛光寺，梁思成教授找到了这座塔，与画上的一模一样，1400年的风风雨雨，依然健在!它是北魏遗物，双层六角，上实下空，绳纹切砖，有印度的束莲柱。它不仅是我国古建筑的珍品，也是中国和印度古代文化交流的纪念碑。大大出乎梁思成所料的，就是除了这“祖师塔”，整个佛光寺都是一个古代艺术的新大陆。佛光寺不只是属于中国，也属于世界，有的外国学者公开称呼佛光寺为“亚洲佛光”。

佛光寺始建于北魏，后来被毁。现在的佛光寺正殿为唐代所建。因其在寺内东部的制高点上，是佛光寺的大雄宝殿，故名东大殿。在五台山是首屈一指的。大殿正中的大佛坛上面有三佛和菩萨胁侍等像三十五尊。佛坛的正中间是降魔释迦像，左边是弥勒佛，右边是阿弥陀佛。这是唐代中叶以后菩萨塑像的特性，与甘肃敦煌的塑像同出一范。

另外，供养菩萨均为一足蹲一足跪在高耸的莲座上。这种塑像除了甘肃敦煌石窟和山西大同华严寺以外，在国内还不多见。

佛坛的左梢间又有普贤菩萨骑像，两个菩萨服侍，獠蛮牵着象，普贤像前有起陀和一个童子像。佛坛的右梢间是文殊菩萨骑狮像，拂林牵着狮子，两个菩萨胁侍。这和通常文殊居左，普贤居右的配置是不相同的。

我的介绍到此就结束了，谢谢您的合作，我希望我的介绍能够给大家带来收获和乐趣。祝您一路平安，身体健康!