[2025 Nan'an Attraction] Travel Guide for Wuta Rock (Updated Jan)

Among the many ancient sites in Quanzhou, Wuta Rock is undoubtedly a dazzling gem. Although it is not listed as a World Heritage site, its mystery and beauty are enough to captivate anyone. Wuta Rock is located on the northwest slope of Zimao Mountain, with convenient transportation. You can drive directly to the free parking lot at the temple gate. Although Zimao Mountain is not very high, its stone mountain roads are often steep. On this land, the ancient Wuta Rock temple stands quietly. The temple was first built during the Northern Song Dynasty, and by the Southern Song Dynasty, five stone pagodas stood in front of the temple, hence the name Wuta Rock. Each of these five stone pagodas is designed in the Song Dynasty stupa style, with a unique shape. They are about six meters high, with a square base and a three-story pagoda body. The first story is hexagonal, with inscriptions, while the second and third stories are drum-shaped, with relief sculptures of Buddha on the third story. The most striking feature is the gourd-shaped pagoda finial, which appears ancient and solemn. These five pagodas are arranged in a row, only two meters apart, creating a magnificent and awe-inspiring sight. Although the five pagodas are generally similar, the Buddha statues in the niches of each pagoda are unique. Some Buddha statues sit cross-legged, with their hands in a mudra in front of their abdomen; some Buddha statues are solemn and dignified, with their earlobes hanging down to their shoulders, sitting cross-legged; and some Buddha statues sit with bent knees, each with a different posture, all exuding their own charm. In addition to these five stone pagodas, Wuta Rock Temple also cleverly utilizes two natural stone caves, building the "Longshui Zen Tower" and "Dingguang Dojo." From an aerial view, the entire temple looks like a pavilion in the sky, with a unique landscape. In 2013, Wuta Rock was listed as the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units, which is enough to prove its historical and cultural value. Each visit is a dialogue with history, an encounter with culture. Wuta Rock awaits your arrival to explore its mystery and beauty together.

After leaving Jiuri Mountain, we continued to explore the national treasures in the suburbs of Quanzhou by car. Quanzhou has the most national treasures in Fujian, and we had to sift through them when planning. But Wutayan is definitely a place that you decide to go to as soon as you see the pictures. From Jiuri Mountain to Wutayan, there is finally a bit of a rural feel. The mountains are not high, but most of them are steep stone mountains, a bit like Xiaolao Mountain. Wutayan is located at the northwest foot of Zimao Mountain, and the car can see the parking lot halfway up the mountain. Next to the parking lot is a well called Longshui Spring. Many locals drive here to fetch water bucket by bucket. After reading the introduction, I understood that Wutayan was originally called Lingshuiyan, which probably has something to do with the spring water here. It takes about 10 minutes to climb from the parking lot to Wutayan. The so-called mountain is not high, there is a fairy name, this ancient temple built in the Song Dynasty does have an excellent view overlooking the surroundings. With several intact Song Dynasty stone Buddha pagodas and cliff carvings since the Song Dynasty, it is indeed worth a special trip. Although there are similar types in Quanzhou city, only this one is lined up with five pagodas, surrounded by peaks, and stands in the deep valley of the mountains. The five pagodas are all drum-shaped granite stone pagodas built in the Song Dynasty, all built on a square base, and built with stone strips. A hexagonal Sumeru seat is placed on the base, and the seat is composed of five layers such as the corner, the lower beam, the lower owl, the waist, and the upper owl. A round lotus plate is placed on the Sumeru seat, and there is a layer of tower body on it. The tower body is in the shape of a drum-shaped six-petal melon ridge. The first and second floors of the tower body are round lotus and lotus plates. The second floor of the tower body is in the shape of a drum-shaped six-petal long melon ridge. There is a pointed arch-shaped Buddha niche on the front, and a Buddha statue is carved in the niche. There are traces of wind chimes hanging on the corners of the tower cover, which is a hexagonal flying eaves. The tower cover is a tower brake, the tower brake has a round base, the wheel is four, and the small cover is connected, and a gourd tower tip is placed on the cover. The five pagodas are similar, but the Buddha statues in the tower body niches have different postures. Some are sitting cross-legged, with both hands making a Dharma seal in front of the abdomen; some are solemn Buddha statues, with ears hanging on the shoulders, sitting cross-legged; some are sitting with bent knees, with the left hand making a Dharma seal in front of the chest, and the right hand on the knee, with high brow bones. These statues have different expressions, all have distinctive features, and each has its own characteristics. In addition to the five stone pagodas, Wutayan itself is also worth a look. It was built in the Northern Song Dynasty and expanded in the Yuan Dynasty. Most of the existing buildings are modern. The temple buildings are built according to the mountain, using two natural caves, and built the 'Longshui Zen Building' and 'Dingguang Daochang'. Looking at the temple from a drone, it looks like a castle in the sky, which is also a unique scenery. 🏠Name | Wutayan Stone Pagoda 🎫Ticket | Free ⛳Address | Zhukou Village, Guanqiao Town, Nan'an City, Quanzhou City 🚗Traffic | Navigate to 'Wutayan Scenic Area'