Ten Thousand Causes Pagoda

Ten Thousand Causes Pagoda

The Ten Thousand Causes Pagoda is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

The Ten Thousand Causes Pagoda, located west of Yuantong Temple in Chengdong Town, Hai’an County, Nantong City, is a contemporary Buddhist pagoda. The foundation stone was laid on April 17, 2011, and the pagoda’s name was inscribed by Venerable Chuan Yin, President of the Buddhist Association of China. It enshrines one Buddha relic gifted by the Western Monastery in Hong Kong. On October 26, 2014, the inauguration, consecration ceremony, and prayer assembly for the enshrinement of the Buddha relic were grandly held at the Ten Thousand Causes Pagoda of Yuantong Temple. The completion of the Ten Thousand Causes Pagoda has rewritten the history of Hai’an having temples but no pagodas.

The pagoda stands 77.6 meters tall and has 11 levels (effectively nine stories), making it the tallest pagoda in central and northern Jiangsu. Its spire, crafted from 3 kilograms of gold, is the most gold-used spire among Buddhist pagodas in China. The Buddha relic enshrined in the Ten Thousand Causes Pagoda is one of the three relics gifted by the Buddhist Association of China to mark Hong Kong’s handover to China. Its return to a mainland temple reflects the shared roots and origins of the mainland and Hong Kong. It is also the third Buddha relic in Jiangsu and the only one in Nantong.

Yuantong Temple was built during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty but was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. In 2005, the temple was rebuilt, and structures such as the Mahavira Hall, Heavenly King Hall, and Guanyin Hall have been completed.

Yuantong Temple is located in the northeastern part of Hai’an City, close to Hai’an Railway Station to the south and near the intersection of Provincial Highway 221 and Xiaoxing Road to the north. It is 5 kilometers from the Shenhai Expressway exit, offering convenient transportation. The temple covers an area of over 200 acres. Since its construction, with the care of the Party and government and strong support from devotees, the temple has successively built the Mahavira Hall, Heavenly King Hall, east and west wing rooms, vegetarian restaurant, Buddhist elderly care home, quadrangle courtyard, mountain gate, and welcomed a 9.9-meter-tall white marble outdoor Guanyin statue. Over 100 acres of the scenic area have been greened. In 2011, the foundation stone for the Ten Thousand Causes Pagoda was laid, rewriting the history of Hai’an having temples but no pagodas. The pagoda’s construction received support from eminent monks and Buddhist masters both in China and abroad. Standing 77.6 meters tall and featuring a spire crafted from 5 kilograms of gold, it boasts the most gold-used spire among Buddhist pagodas in China. It is now the tallest pagoda in central and northern Jiangsu. The name “Ten Thousand Causes Pagoda” was inscribed by Venerable Chuan Yin, current President of the Buddhist Association of China. The highest master of contemporary Chinese Buddhism, the centenarian Venerable De Lin, inscribed “All Virtues Share the Same Cause.” The calligraphy of these two eminent monks adds even more spiritual radiance to the pagoda.

The completed pagoda enshrines over a thousand statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas from the Four Sacred Mountains. Atop the pagoda are enshrined multiple genuine Buddha relics, gifted respectively by the Western Monastery of the Hong Kong Buddhist Federation and Linji Temple in Zhengding County, Hebei. These relics are permanently enshrined within the pagoda, praying for world peace and national prosperity.

Address: Liueque Village, Development Zone, Hai’an City (west of Yuantong Temple)