Shijing Pagoda in Sankou Town

Shijing Pagoda in Sankou Town

The Shijing Pagoda in Sankou Town is a cultural relic protection unit of Lianyungang City.

Shijing Pagoda (Tang and Song Dynasties)

The Shijing Pagoda is situated on the north bank of the ancient Laian River in Dabeicun Village, Sankou Town, Guannan County, Lianyungang City. Only the body of the pagoda remains, standing 160 cm tall and measuring 30 cm in diameter, with both the top and base having been lost. At the top of the pagoda body, there is a stone tenon about 12 cm in diameter and 8 cm high, used to fix the missing top. The body is carved from a single piece of bluestone and divided into upper and lower sections. The upper part is an 80 cm-tall rectangular block, with Buddha images carved on the east, south, and west sides. All three Buddha figures are depicted wearing monastic robes draped over both shoulders. The Buddha facing south is seated cross-legged on a lotus-shaped sumeru pedestal, with hair hanging behind the ears, a protuberance on the crown of the head, and a serene expression. The other two Buddha figures are also seated cross-legged, this time on oval-shaped sumeru pedestals, with protuberances on their heads and hair falling to their shoulders. According to experts, the three Buddha figures on the pagoda represent the Three Saints of the West in Buddhism: Amitabha Buddha in the center, with Guanyin Bodhisattva on the left and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva on the right—figures revered by practitioners of Pure Land Buddhism. The lower part of the pagoda body is a 80 cm-tall hexagonal column, with inscriptions on all six sides. However, due to significant damage, only two sides remain legible: “Namo Shakyamuni Buddha” and “Namo Amitabha Buddha.”

Sankou Town: Sankou Town is located in the northeastern part of Guannan County. It borders Yifan River to the south, Guanhe River to the north, and faces Xiangshui County of Yancheng City across the river to the east. It is 21 kilometers from the county seat of Guannan, covering a total area of 87 square kilometers with 77,000 mu of arable land. The town administers 20 administrative villages, 1 neighborhood committee, 140 villager groups, and has a population of 59,300. In the past year, the gross domestic product reached 201.2 million yuan, an increase of 10.82% over the previous year. The combined industrial and agricultural output value was 772.87 million yuan, fiscal revenue was 7.66 million yuan, collective net income of village economies was 541,000 yuan, and the per capita income of farmers was 3,111 yuan... More detailed information about Sankou Town ++

Further Reading:

· The Fifth Batch of Municipal-Level Cultural Relic Protection Units in Lianyungang City