Nantong Wenfeng Pagoda

Nantong Wenfeng Pagoda

Wenfeng Pagoda is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

Wenfeng Pagoda is located near the ancient Salt Transport River in the southeast of Nantong city proper, by the Haohe River to the southeast of the urban area, and north of Wenfeng Park in the city. Here stands a group of Ming and Qing dynasty buildings with uniquely charming garden scenery. Historically known as "Wufu Temple," it is now called "Wenfeng Pagoda Temple" and houses the Nantong Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Nantong Painting and Calligraphy Academy, and an art gallery. Within the temple grounds is Wenfeng Pagoda, the crown jewel among Nantong’s Three Pagodas.

Wenfeng Pagoda was first built in the 40th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1618 AD). The pagoda features bronze tiles, white walls, and red pillars, designed in a pavilion-style imitation. It is a brick-and-wood structure with five levels and six sides. Each level has small rooms, with one door and two windows on each side. Inside, there are stairs, and outside, there are guardrails. The upturned eaves and ridges are adorned with dragon heads, celestial beings, and mythical animals, all tied with golden bells. At the top is a spire that stands 10.33 meters high. The spire base is shaped like an inverted alms bowl, topped with a dew-catching plate. The spire pole passes through seven stacked wheels, and the top consists of a crescent moon, a round light, and a precious vase. These are connected to the top of the pagoda with iron chains, giving the pagoda a solemn, magnificent, and towering appearance. The body of the pagoda is built of bricks. On each level, four of the six doors are hidden and four are visible, arranged alternately up and down. The roof comes to a pointed tip, and the spire is slender, with seven stacked wheels. The eaves extend quite far out, and their corners curl upward elegantly, creating an ancient yet graceful look.

Wenfeng Pagoda stands 39 meters tall, proudly positioned in the southeast of the city, and is a cultural symbol of Nantong people’s reverence for literature and pursuit of prosperity. According to the inscription on the “Record of the Construction of Wenfeng Pagoda in Tongzhou,” the pagoda was built “to enhance the landscape of the mountains and rivers and to boost the flourishing of literary culture.” Legend has it that during the Ming Dynasty, when feng shui theories were popular, it was said that from south of the Huai River all the way to the flat lands stretching over a thousand li, only Nantong had the Langshan and Wushan mountains—regarded as the city’s “official and prosperity palace.” At that time, mountain quarrying for building materials, city construction, and garden landscaping damaged this “palace,” resulting in Nantong scholars repeatedly failing imperial examinations and many local officials being demoted. Thus, it was proposed that, as the terrain in the southeast of the city was low-lying and nourishing to literary energy, constructing Wenfeng Pagoda and Sanyuan Bridge would restore the landscape’s grandeur and invigorate literary prosperity. Perhaps by historical coincidence, in the first 500-plus years of Nantong’s thousand-year history, few notable figures emerged. It wasn’t until the late Ming Dynasty, around the early 16th century, that figures such as brothers Ling Xiang and Ling Kai, Ma Kun, father-and-son Chen Yao and Chen Dakuo, nephew Chen Dazhuang, grandfather-and-grandson Gu Yangqian and Gu Guobao, as well as Fan Fengyi and Bao Zhuangxing—all told, nearly a hundred successful imperial examination candidates—emerged. Eventually, Nantong produced two top imperial scholars: Hu Changling and Zhang Jian. In truth, “each era has its talents who lead their times for centuries”—the emergence of talent is a historical inevitability. Attributing it to the pagoda is merely a pleasant anecdote.

Wenfeng Pagoda Temple was built with the pagoda first and the temple later. The temple was named “Wufu Temple” because it was established due to the pagoda. Legend says that during the temple’s construction, five giant bats, as big as cartwheels, appeared. Another tale claims that five red bats once nested on Wenfeng Pagoda, hence the name Wufu Temple (“Temple of Five Blessings”), which adds another layer of mythology. Over time, Wufu Temple fell into ruin, but Wenfeng Pagoda has been preserved through multiple restorations. The six-dynasty-old pine tree within the temple grounds is the most authoritative witness to all this. Wenfeng Pagoda underwent major repairs in the 25th year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty (1820), and the last previous renovation dates back to the 1970s, when only minor emergency repairs were carried out. Over the past thirty years, although the main structure of Wenfeng Pagoda remains intact, its roof, railings, and other parts have deteriorated. Many birds have also nested in the pagoda, affecting its preservation. After two rounds of repairs following the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the pagoda regained its former glory. It is currently the largest existing feng shui-related architectural structure in the city and is a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit in Nantong. From its heights, visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the entire city. Wenfeng Pagoda Temple is a courtyard-style complex that houses the Nantong Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the Painting and Calligraphy Academy, and the Art Gallery. In the past decade, distinctive courtyard-style buildings have been added around Wenfeng Pagoda, collectively referred to as Wenfeng Pagoda Temple. In September 2005, to celebrate the centennial of Nantong Museum and related activities in the Chinese museum industry held in Nantong, the municipal government allocated over one million yuan for a large-scale restoration of Wenfeng Pagoda, this Ming Dynasty cultural relic, restoring its majestic appearance. The lighting project implemented for Wenfeng Pagoda was designed based on the architectural and structural features of the pagoda, divided into three parts: roof lighting, eave and corner lighting, and wall lighting. The rooftop is illuminated by white spotlights installed on the eaves between the corners of the top level, while the roofs of the lower levels are lit by white spotlights mounted at the base of the railings on the level above. The eaves and corners of each level are lit by yellow corner lights installed on the lintels of that level. The entire lighting system is integrated into the centralized control system for lighting in the Haohe Scenic Area, making Wenfeng Pagoda the most dazzling attraction on the southeastern Haohe River. Now, climbing the pagoda offers sweeping views of the shimmering Haohe River and the bustling city below—a truly uplifting experience.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units