The Eight Treasures Pavilion in Yangzhou

The Eight Treasures Pavilion in Yangzhou

The Eight Treasures Pavilion in Yangzhou

The Eight Treasures Pavilion has endured many trials and serves as a witness to the shifting tides of history. Literary scholars and poets who came here would always pay homage and compose numerous poems and writings. The Ming Dynasty poet Wu Mindao wrote: “Amidst thousands of trees by the river, beauty thrives; for a thousand years, a treasure’s aura floats. Every household tends to silkworms, and one may find a mulberry-picking hook.” The “mulberry-picking hook” is one of the eight treasures. The Qing Dynasty magistrate of Baoying County, Yue Dongsheng, described it thus: “One morning at dawn, as I passed by this place, I saw the clouds take on an extraordinary appearance, displaying a myriad of hues—some as bright as pearls, some as smooth as jade, others intermingling in a riot of colors like purple, emerald, black, and yellow, all splendidly arrayed and borrowing each other’s brilliance. Ah, how misty and radiant it was, a spectacle of infinite wonders, shining brilliantly across heaven and earth. It felt as though one had truly ascended to receive the mandate of heaven, or perhaps even more so.” His vivid description paints a scene that is truly like a heavenly realm.

The Eight Treasures Pavilion now stands within the central city’s Zongzhuo Garden. Passing through the gate of plain bricks and high tiles, walking along a stone path lined with weeping willows, and stepping onto a small bridge over a gently flowing stream, the pavilion with its upturned eaves and soaring corners, as if ready to take flight, suddenly comes into view. In the distance, the gilded characters “八宝亭” (Eight Treasures Pavilion), inscribed by Mr. Zhao Puchu, stand out strikingly. Ascending the steps and standing inside the pavilion, you are greeted by breezes from all directions, with birdsong and floral fragrances nearby, and the rising sun in the distance. It feels leisurely and ethereal, as if you have arrived in a fairyland.

As the sun sets and the evening glow fills the sky, the verdant willows surrounding the Eight Treasures Pavilion cast their reflections in the water, merging above and below in a ceaseless dance, evoking a sense of “an ancient temple hidden in a deep pool, with emerald waters transforming into jade-like hues.”

The picturesque and poetic Eight Treasures Pavilion derives its name from a beautiful and magical legend. It is said that during the mid-Tang Dynasty, amid the chaos of the An Lushan Rebellion which brought great suffering to the people and continuous warfare across the Central Plains, a nun named Zhenru traveled from Gong County in Henan to An Yi in Chuzhou (now Baoying County). On a winter night, Zhenru dreamed that she stepped onto colorful auspicious clouds and ascended to the heavens. The Jade Emperor summoned her and bestowed upon her eight treasures, saying: “The world below has suffered from war and chaos for a long time, with endless slaughter and the stench of blood rising to the heavens. Sacred treasures are needed to suppress evil and restore order. I now grant you these eight treasures. Take them back and present them to the emperor. With this, warfare will cease and the troubled times will be calmed.”

Zhenru reported this to Magistrate Cui Xian, who sent people to investigate. Zhenru then presented the eight treasures: the first was the “Wish-Fulfilling Pearl”; the second, the “Red Rein Pad”; the third, the “Langdie Pearl”; the fourth, the “Jade Seal”; the fifth and sixth were a pair of “Empress’ Mulberry-Picking Hooks”; the seventh and eighth were two “Thunder God Stone Axes.” When the treasures were placed under sunlight, white vapors soared into the sky; when placed in a dark room, they shone like the moon. Cui Xian also sent people to accompany Zhenru to the capital. In the fourth month of the second year of the Shangyuan era (761), they arrived in Chang’an and met Emperor Suzong. At the time, Emperor Suzong Li Heng was gravely ill and near death. Upon seeing the treasures, he summoned his crown prince, Li Yu, and said: “You ascended from Prince of Chu to crown prince, and the heavens have bestowed treasures upon Chuzhou—this is clearly a sign of support for you!” After Emperor Suzong passed away, Emperor Daizong Li Yu ascended the throne. Due to the receipt of the treasures, he changed the era name from the third year of Shangyuan to the first year of Baoying (762), elevated Chuzhou to a superior prefecture, and renamed An Yi County to Baoying County. From then on, warfare gradually ceased throughout the land, crops flourished, and within the region, the people lived in peace and prosperity. Baoying County thus became a prominent county. Interestingly, at this time, the game of chess, which had been introduced to Japan, also came to be called “Baoying Chess” by the Japanese. For a time, Baoying became renowned far and wide. Emperor Daizong was greatly pleased and built the “Zhenru Temple” at Zhenru’s residence—the southern street of Baoying County—and dug the “Treasure-Receiving River” to express gratitude for the heavens’ support. During the Ming Jiaqing period, to commemorate the Jade Emperor’s bestowal of the treasures, the “Eight Treasures Pavilion” was also constructed on Southern Street. In 1983, the Eight Treasures Pavilion was relocated from Southern Street to Zongzhuo Garden.

Today, the area around the Eight Treasures Pavilion is still rich with legends. The water town’s “eight treasures”—lotus roots, water chestnuts, arrowhead tubers, crabs…—have long been famous both in China and abroad, beloved by countless households. Nowadays, Baoying’s “treasures” go far beyond the original eight; to name just a few, there’s “Eight Treasures Pavilion” liquor, “Wuqiongjiang” liquor, “Baosheng Cables,” and “Steel Cylinder Stoves”… These new “treasures” have also gained fame across the nation. Indeed, the Eight Treasures Pavilion has become a landmark connecting history and the future. The tides of the times surge beneath the pavilion, and Baoying, a place of abundant resources and exceptional talent, will surely offer even more “treasures” and continue to write new legends of the Eight Treasures Pavilion in the modern era.