Towards a Buddhist History of Mount Tai

Abstract:The history of Buddhist sites on Mount Tai—the Sacred Peak of the East—has been largely neglected. The focus has remained instead on the role of the mountain in the Chinese state cult and the practice of the indigenous Daoist religion. This paper surveys material and textual evidence from the late fifth century onwards in an attempt to trace the Buddhist acculturation of Mount Tai. The available archaeological evidence is read alongside the traditional founding legend about monk Senglang 僧朗 (ca. 315–400) who is said to have established the “first monastery” on the mountain. A brief survey of early Buddhist establishments in the Mount Tai region ties the most impressive early Buddhist artefact—the giant Diamond Sutra inscribed in Sutra Stone Valley during the Northern Qi dynasty—into this network of sites.