Wuxi Longguang Pagoda

Wuxi Longguang Pagoda

The Wuxi Longguang Pagoda is a cultural heritage site protected at the municipal level in Wuxi.

The Longguang Pagoda is located within Xihui Park in Wuxi. Originally built in the second year of the Wanli era during the Ming Dynasty (1574), it symbolizes the prosperity of imperial examinations in ancient Wuxi. The pagoda is a seven-story, octagonal, pavilion-style brick structure, tapering from the bottom to the top with brick walls. It stands 31.29 meters tall and was the tallest building in Wuxi before 1949.

In the first year of the Jing era (1522), Gu Maozhang and his son rebuilt a stone pagoda; by July of the second year of the Wanli era (1574), it was reconstructed as an octagonal, seven-story brick pagoda. It was named "Longguang Pagoda" by Shi Guanmin, the prefect of Changzhou, with the plaque inscribed by Wang Zhongshan. It served as a feng shui pagoda intended to revive literary prosperity.

In the 23rd year of the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1544), after the palace examination, Wu Qing from Wuxi was initially selected as the top imperial scholar (zhuangyuan). However, when the results were announced in the Golden Hall, Emperor Jiajing thought that "Wu Qing" sounded too similar to "Wu Qing" (heartless or ruthless) in northern China. Believing that “how could there be a 'heartless zhuangyuan'?” he demoted Wu Qing to third place, making him the tanhua (the third-ranked scholar). As a result, locals also blamed the original pagoda for being solid and said things like, “Dragon horns are meant for listening, so they must be hollow inside.” Thus, the community raised funds again to build this seven-story, octagonal, pavilion-style brick pagoda in the second year of the Wanli era (1574), which was named "Longguang Pagoda" by Shi Guanmin, the prefect of Changzhou at the time. The inscription of the pagoda’s name, written by the famous Ming Dynasty calligrapher and painter Wang Wen (also known as Zhongshan), still exists and is engraved on a stone slab embedded in the eastern exterior wall of the third floor. In the same year (the second year of the Wanli era, 1574), Sun Jigao achieved the top rank in the imperial examination, marking the emergence of many talented individuals from Wuxi.

On May 21, 2019, after more than nine months of renovation, the Longguang Pagoda — a landmark atop Xishan Mountain in Wuxi — was restored to its former glory. The renovated pagoda is 31.29 meters tall with a total floor area of 244.77 square meters. Inside, a spiral staircase leads to each level, where arched doorways provide access to observation platforms offering panoramic views of the cityscape. A grand completion ceremony was held in front of the pagoda.

In 1957, the Longguang Pagoda was designated as a municipal-level cultural relics protection unit by the Wuxi Municipal People's Government, and it was again listed as such in 1983.