Anchangxian Stupa

Anchangxian Stupa

The Anchangxian Stupa is a cultural relic protected at the Liaoning Provincial level.

Known for its flourishing incense offerings, the Anchangxian Stupa is no less revered. "Sharira" is a transliteration from Sanskrit, meaning Buddhist relics. It is a Buddhist custom to enshrine such relics—bones or teeth of the Buddha—inside stupas for worship, hence the name stupa.

The Anchangxian Stupa is located in Anchangxian Village, Nuanchi Pond Town, about 15 kilometers southwest of Panlong Cave. It is a provincial-level cultural relic, originally built during the Jin Dynasty and renovated in the fourth year of the Tiande era (1152 AD). The body of the stupa is constructed from blue bricks, forming an octagonal solid dense-eave structure standing 18 meters tall. The base is a Sumeru-style pedestal adorned with brick-carved upturned lotus petals and decorative patterns. The stupa’s eight-sided, seven-tiered body features arched gates on the east, west, south, and north sides, each housing intricately carved bodhisattva statues seated within niches on lotus pedestals. The other four sides each display attendant figures clad in robes, standing on lotus flowers, with hands clasped in prayer and serene expressions. The stupa’s eaves on each level are adorned with carved brick brackets, and the overall structure forms a graceful, tapering cone topped with a finial. It holds significant value for the study of ancient architecture and Buddhist studies.

Situated atop a mountain peak and having endured many centuries, the stupa has suffered severe weathering and now leans approximately 15 degrees to the southeast. In 2001, the base was reinforced with cement and blue bricks. In 2007, it was included in Liaoning Province’s “Liao Stupas Project” restoration initiative and has since been fully repaired.

The stupa and stele are municipal-level cultural relics under protection.

Further reading:

· Fourth Batch of Liaoning Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units