In Xinzhou, north China's Shanxi Province, waves of cloud and mist roll over forests of gold, turning the sacred Mount Wutai into a dreamlike sea of autumn color. Blanketed by nearly 20,000 hectares of forest, the mountain rises from more than 600 to 3,000 meters, its peaks and valleys tracing one of China's oldest geological formations. Revered as the foremost of China's four sacred Buddhist Mountains, it's home to centuries-old temples and rare Buddhist sculptures.