Mount Wutai (literally Mountain of Five Platforms) is located in Wutai County in northeastern Shanxi Province. It got its name because its five lofty peaks have flat tops. Mount Wutai has a radius of about 300 kilometers and an average elevation of more than 1,000 meters. Its highest peak, the Yemen Peak in the north, is 3,058 meters above sea level and is referred to as the “Roof of North China.”

Mount Wutai is comprised of ancient crystalline rocks. Its north side is high and steep. Its five peaks are Wanghai Peak in the east, Guayue Peak in the west, Jinxiu Peak in the south, Yedou Peak in the north, and Cuiyan Peak in the center. The area beyond the five peaks is referred to as Taiwai, and the area within the five peaks is known as Tainei. Taihuai Town is at the center of Tainei and the north peak is its highest point. Mount Wutai’s natural vegetation consists mainly of grasslands, including meadows, plains, and shrubbery, which are great summer pastures.