[Discovering the Secrets of Mount Wutai] Exploring the "Wolf-Dog" Guardians of an Ancient Temple

At 6 a.m., before the first rays of sunlight pierced through the morning mist of Mount Wutai, our SUV was already winding its way up the mountain road. The car's navigation repeatedly warned, "The road ahead is not a regular tourist route," which only added to the anticipation of this mysterious journey. As we rounded the 27th hairpin bend, the driver suddenly pointed to a vermilion mountain gate looming in the sea of clouds: "Look! We've arrived at Mimi Temple." The moment the weathered wooden door swung open, a gust of mountain wind carrying the scent of pine filled the air. The legendary Mimoyan Rock, said to seal 500 divine dragons, stood before us. Its ochre-red cliff face was covered in honeycomb-like natural indentations, resembling countless dragon scales. The old monk accompanying us gently touched the rock face and whispered, "Manjushri Bodhisattva once tied five golden ropes here. Look closely at the lines..." As the morning light slanted in, the winding veins in the rock seemed to shimmer with a dark golden light. The most striking sight was the pair of "wolf-dog" stone beasts guarding the mountain gate. Unlike the usual lions or pixiu found at temples, these Tang Dynasty relics had the narrow faces of wolves but the curly manes of lions. Their front paws rested on stone-carved scriptures, while their hind legs were crouched like those of dogs. The moment I touched them, a cool sensation spread through my palm—the surface of the bluestone had naturally formed intricate scale-like patterns. The temple keeper chuckled, "The dragon sons are sealed here, so even the stones have grown dragon scales." The Monk Mucha Pagoda stood quietly amidst ancient cypress trees in the deepest part of the temple grounds. The finial of this square, multi-eaved Tang Dynasty pagoda was slightly tilted, and its body was adorned with carvings of apsaras holding lotus flowers. As I circumambulated the pagoda, I unexpectedly discovered a half-broken stele embedded in the southeast corner of the base. The inscription, though blurred, was partially legible: "The fifth year of the Huichang era... Mimoyan manifested..." The rustling of the wind through the trees seemed to echo the passage of a thousand years, resonating within the pagoda's bells. As we left the temple at noon, the keeper gifted us a few sprigs of wild ginseng gathered from behind the temple. Looking back at the vermilion gate gradually disappearing into the clouds, the stone beasts seemed to blink in the shifting light. Suddenly, I understood the meaning of "Mimoyan"—every stone here tells the story of the sealed legends, and time is the most enigmatic gatekeeper. >> Guide to Exploring the Secrets ▪️ Best time: 5-7 a.m., when the stone beasts in the morning mist display a special luster ▪️ Hidden gem: A thousand-year-old walnut tree behind the temple, its hollow large enough for an adult to curl up inside ▪️ Special note: Touching the stone beasts is prohibited. We were fortunate to observe them up close thanks to prior arrangements. ▪️ Route tips: About a 1.5-hour drive from Taihuai Town, the latter half of the journey requires an SUV due to the gravel road.