本文的目的在於考察中國第一座佛教聖山—五臺山信仰在古代中國與日本的傳播、移植，以及期間產生的變化。中古時期五臺山聖山信仰的形成，最重要的意義在於開啟中國佛教傳播與信仰的新面向。五臺山整個區域被視為一體，不同於單一的宗派本山或容納多寺的名山，不但是信仰的根據，亦是信仰實踐的所在。文殊菩薩是五臺山聖山信仰的對象，與文殊菩薩化現的相關聖跡成為信仰傳播的輔助。聖山信仰的基礎是寺院與僧人，入山巡禮是聖山信仰的實踐過程，巡禮者成為信仰擴展的重要媒介，而五臺山圖與清涼傳的撰（繪）成，則是輔教之作。五臺山文殊道場在成為佛教信仰圈認定的聖山之後，吸引更多的信眾巡禮五臺山，並隨著巡禮的信眾傳播至各地。唐代以降，除了山西五臺山以外，中國其他各地亦可見小五臺、南五臺等地。此外，五臺山信仰也影響中國域外的國家，特別是日本與新羅的僧人，不僅將五臺山信仰傳入本國，更在本國之內仿建文殊聖山，可謂當時佛教文化區內的共同現象。本文將考察五臺山信仰在古代東亞國家之間跨域擴展的過程，冀能進一步觀察佛教在東亞地區的傳播與變化，探討五臺山如何成為在東亞地區移動、別立的聖山。

The formation of Wutai Shan beliefs in medieval China is significant in several ways, among which the most conspicuous is the opening of a new dimension for the spread of Buddhism in China. A sacred mountain is different from a simply famous or faction-based mountain; it controls all of the surrounding areas and constitutes the nexus of religious activities. Manjusri worship is central to Wutai Shan beliefs. A number of traces and relics of ostensible Manjusri appearances are physical attractions of the belief system. Temples in Wutai Shan and their monks form the basis of the sacred mountain culture, while pilgrims complement the ceremonies. The ＂Map of Wutai Shan＂ and Qingliang Zhuan are two masterpieces that promulgate the beliefs. Wutai Shan became a destination of pilgrimage after being recognized as a Buddhist sacred mountain. From the Tang dynasty, apart from the genuine Wutai Shan in Shanxi province, there appeared elsewhere in China such places as Little Wutai and South Wutai. Furthermore, monks from Korea and Japan brought the beliefs back home and created their own sacred mountains in the image of Wutai Shan, which became a common phenomenon in the Buddhist cultural sphere. This article focuses on the process of Wutai Shan beliefs spreading from China to neighboring countries as an example of the development and variations of East Asian Buddhism.