Imperial Engagements Imagined: Accounts of Northern Dynasties Rulers in the Early Record of Mount Wutai 五臺

Research reveals that Tang period (618–907) accounts of Mount Wutai, particularly those by Huixiang in the Ancient Chronicle of Mount Clear and Cool, are imaginative reconstructions rather than historical records. These narratives were crafted to invoke memories of Northern Dynasties rulers, shaping Mount Wutai into a sacred site of imperial Buddhism during the Tang era. The study employs close textual analysis to demonstrate how Huixiang and his contemporaries used these stories to legitimize and develop the site's religious significance.

Andrews, S. (2025). Imperial Engagements Imagined: Accounts of Northern Dynasties Rulers in the Early Record of Mount Wutai 五臺. Tang Studies, 43(1), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1353/tan.2025.a975110