Changrong Wooden Pagoda

Changrong Wooden Pagoda

Changrong Wooden Pagoda is a cultural tourism attraction.

When people talk about wooden pagodas, they often think of the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda in Shanxi or the Zhangye Wooden Pagoda in Gansu. In fact, the Changrong Wooden Pagoda in my hometown is also a hidden gem that remains relatively unknown. According to historical records, during the Changqing era (821–824) of the Tang Dynasty, the eminent monk Master Dexin traveled to what was then a strategically important coastal defense town of the Eastern Sea, bestowed by Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, with the title “Great-Min” — a settlement mainly inhabited by people with the Li surname. Known in ancient times as Tangying, this place was not only rich in resources but also home to a simple and honest populace. Touched by its charm, Master Dexin conceived the idea of establishing a monastic retreat. After receiving the imperial approval from Emperor Muzong of Tang, Li Heng, he reconstructed an existing temple originally built during the Kaiyuan era (713–743) of the Tang Dynasty. Thus, the thousand-year-old “Imperially Commissioned Wooden Pagoda Chan Temple” came into being. Despite enduring wars and natural disasters across dynasties, falling into disrepair and revival several times, it was not until the Republican era that the temple began to take its final shape — a rustic monastery sprawling over a hundred acres, embraced by lush greenery and grand halls. The weathered stone lintel inscribed with “Imperially Commissioned Wooden Pagoda Chan Temple” stands as the best testament to its long and storied history.

The six engraved regular-script characters on the stone lintel, reading “Imperially Commissioned Wooden Pagoda Chan Temple” from right to left, are bold and forceful. In the upper right corner, it is inscribed vertically: “Initially built by Abbot Dexin during the Changqing era of Emperor Muzong,” while the lower left reads: “Reconstructed in the 25th year of Emperor Guangxu by Monk Bicheng, with calligraphy by Xu Songjun of our county” (Xu Songjun was a renowned calligrapher of the Qing Dynasty from Xinghua, who once inscribed a plaque for the Mahavira Hall of Jinshan Jiangtian Chan Temple in Zhenjiang). In the temple’s spacious courtyard, a cluster of wintersweet and hibiscus flowers grows on each side, east and west. At the southeast corner of the Mahavira Hall stands a two-story brick tower, housing a hexagonal seven-story wooden pagoda in its center. This pagoda was carved from a single piece of precious hibiscus wood. The entire structure is delicate and exquisitely designed, featuring double eaves, multiple tiers, and upturned corners — truly a marvel of craftsmanship. At the time, it was the only one of its kind in the country, predating the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda in Shanxi (built in 1056 during the Liao Dynasty’s Qingning 2nd year) by 230 years. Even more astonishingly, when the morning sun rises and shines through the tower windows onto the pagoda’s gourd-shaped golden finial, it emits a dazzling array of rainbow-like hues. These colors interplay with the sacred mirror situated at the center of the Mahavira Hall’s roof ridge, creating a resplendent rainbow. Perhaps objects touched by Buddhist blessings possess a spiritual essence — it is this magical rainbow that adds an air of mystery to the yellow plum and hibiscus trees in the temple, leaving visitors in awe. For centuries, crowds have flocked to witness this spectacle. The phrase “Yellow Plum and Hibiscus, Wooden Pagoda Morning Glow” has spread far and wide, making the Wooden Pagoda Temple renowned.

In the first year of the Hongxi era of the Ming Dynasty (1425), Gao Gu, later known as the “Veteran of Five Dynasties,” visited to admire this extraordinary sight and composed a poem: “The five-colored morning glow illuminates the forest gate, casting brilliant radiance upon the towering pagoda. Bathed in the rising sun above the sea, it soars as colorful clouds across the sky. Clearly visible within the shadows of the monk’s robe, gradually fading amid the sounds of cymbals, the white-haired old monk has just awakened — startled, a piece of purple silk falls from the window.” He also officially designated this scene as “Wooden Pagoda Morning Glow” and included it among the “Ten Scenic Spots of Zhaoyang.”

The pagoda complex within Changrong Wooden Pagoda Chan Temple features a double-tower design — a pagoda within a pagoda, commonly referred to as the Mother and Son Pagodas. The inner, smaller pagoda is the wooden one. It was personally hand-carved by Abbot Dexin, who, under imperial decree, selected a massive piece of premium rosewood from a collection of fine timber. With a diameter of about two meters and a height of seven meters, the hexagonal pagoda consists of seven levels, each side adorned with a Buddha niche housing a single statue. With six sides per level and seven levels, the total comes to forty-two niches, each enshrining a uniquely expressive Buddha statue. Surrounding the inner wooden pagoda is an outer mother pagoda, constructed from blue bricks and standing over ten meters tall. As it shields the wooden pagoda day and night from sun, rain, and wind, it is also called the Protective Pagoda. Inside the Protective Pagoda, a staircase serves a dual purpose: pilgrims use it to offer incense to the Buddha statues in the niches, while visitors can climb it to peer through the tower windows and stroll along the corridors, taking in the idyllic water-town scenery.

This rare architectural treasure was destroyed in the flames of war in 1943, reduced to ashes. The Wooden Pagoda Morning Glow also faded into distant memory, gradually forgotten by the world. As time passed and seasons changed, in today’s era of national prosperity and social harmony, the increasingly affluent residents of this water town were unwilling to let this magical sight be lost to history forever. In 2002, they rebuilt the pagoda on its original site, restoring it to its former glory. Now, visitors and worshippers can see a wooden pagoda with a diameter of four meters and a height of thirteen meters. A surrounding seven-story brick pagoda, twenty-three meters tall and built to protect the wooden pagoda, is also nearing completion. The rare spectacle of the Wooden Pagoda Morning Glow will once again shine in new splendor, drawing the eyes of tens of thousands of worshippers and tourists.

Perhaps architecture is a form of frozen poetry. The Changrong Wooden Pagoda has become a scenic wonder once more. The act of rebuilding and admiring the pagoda is no longer just about the view itself, but also reflects a deep appreciation and love for the land. Gazing beyond the horizon where the sky meets nothingness, peering into the sea whose depths are unknowable — on the soil of my homeland, “Yellow Plum and Hibiscus, Wooden Pagoda Morning Glow” allows me to sense the profound cultural richness of my hometown. There is no such thing as water without a source or a tree without roots. By tracing the imprints of history and integrating them with the values, thoughts, and cultural elements of modern society, along with a people-centered philosophy, the rebuilt Changrong Wooden Pagoda will bloom even more vibrantly, showcasing the colorful flowers of contemporary material civilization.