Yangzhou Wenfeng Temple

Yangzhou Wenfeng Temple

Yangzhou Wenfeng Temple is a Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage site.

Located at No. 16 Baota Road, it is a provincial-level cultural heritage site. The temple is named after the Wenfeng Pagoda. The pagoda was built in the 10th year of the Wanli era during the Ming Dynasty (1582). In January of the 7th year of the Kangxi era in the Qing Dynasty (1668), a major earthquake in Tancheng, Shandong, caused the spire to collapse. In the 3rd year of the Xianfeng era (1853), the temple was destroyed in a war and was later restored through fundraising led by Jishan, the abbot of Wanshou Temple. It was completely renovated, and at that time, the pagoda’s spire “shone brilliantly, with rays spiraling upwards like a solitary peak rising gracefully into the clouds, leaving both land and water travelers in awe.” Wenfeng Pagoda is a seven-story brick-and-wood structure in the pavilion style, with eight arched gates on each level. The first floor features a corridor-style design, while the second to seventh floors have cantilevered corridors. The pagoda is built with blue bricks and tiles, standing nearly 50 meters tall, with an octagonal spire. Viewed from afar, Wenfeng Pagoda appears both delicate and majestic, showcasing the exceptional craftsmanship of ancient Chinese pagoda construction.

When the morning sun rises, the shadow of Wenfeng Pagoda resembles a brush dipped in an inkstone, creating the scenic view known as “Inkstone Dyed with Brush Strokes.” A line from a Qing Dynasty poem reads: “Nine peaks, an inkstone, and a pagoda as the brush.” Wenfeng Temple faces west and sits to the east, with a stone tablet marking the “Ancient Canal” standing at its entrance. The second, fourth, and sixth eastward voyages of the Tang Dynasty eminent monk Jianzhen began their journey into the Yangtze River from here. During their southern tours, the Qing emperors Kangxi and Qianlong also passed by the temple.

Wenfeng Temple has become a religious site in Yangzhou that integrates a pagoda, temple, and garden. It was approved for public access in 2000. Later, Ming Dynasty structures from the city’s Fifth Middle School, as well as the Mahavira Hall, Scripture Repository, and Ordination Platform from Wanshou Temple, were relocated to Wenfeng Temple for restoration. The temple now covers an area of 30 acres. As a landmark building of Yangzhou, Wenfeng Pagoda has appeared on postcards more than 10 times since the Republican era. In August 2009, during the 3rd Canal Cities Expo, it was featured on the 5th stamp of a set of six in the “Grand Canal of China” series.