Xingshengjiao Temple Pagoda

Xingshengjiao Temple Pagoda

Xingshengjiao Temple Pagoda is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Commonly known as the "Square Pagoda," Xingshengjiao Temple Pagoda is located in the southeastern part of Songjiang County in eastern China's Shanghai. It is an ancient brick-and-wood structure pagoda built during the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127 AD).

Xingshengjiao Temple Pagoda was built between the Xining and Yuanyou reigns of the Northern Song Dynasty (1068–1094 AD), and has been repaired in various dynasties since. Its architectural style inherits the design of Tang Dynasty brick pagodas. The pagoda has a square base, stands 42.5 meters tall, and has nine stories, with each side of the ground floor measuring 6 meters. Each façade features circular brick pillars, topped with wooden brackets that support the wooden-tiled eaves. The outer walls have arched doorways on all four sides. Most of the wooden components on the pagoda date back to the Song Dynasty, while the seventh, eighth, and ninth floors were reconstructed during the Qing Dynasty, differing in style from the lower levels. Beneath the pagoda’s foundation, an underground palace was discovered, housing one stone casket, two silver boxes encased in stone, containing 42 Song Dynasty coins, as well as one seated and one reclining bronze bodhisattva statue. Additionally, there is a Ming Dynasty brick-carved screen wall situated in front of the Square Pagoda.

Xingshengjiao Temple Pagoda is one of the most beautifully designed ancient pagodas in the Jiangnan region, providing valuable physical insight into the architectural style of Tang Dynasty Buddhist pagodas. (National Cultural Heritage Administration)

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units