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The Stone Pagoda on Bai Gongdi

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The Stone Pagoda on Bai Gongdi is located next to the Five Martyrs’ Tomb at No. 775 Shantang Street, outside Changmen. It was designated as a Suzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit in 1982. Commonly known as the Square Stele, the pagoda is a square column consisting of a base, main body, and top, with a total height of 3.16 meters. The front of the main body bears the “Record of the Reconstruction of Bai Gongdi,” written in December of the 39th year of the Wanli era (January 1612) by Wang Zhideng, inscribed by Wen Congjian in standard script, with most of the characters still legible. The inscription consists of two parts: a “Record” and an “Inscription,” recounting the reconstruction of Bai Gongdi between the 38th and 39th years of the Wanli era, praising the spirit of Monk Muling, who vowed to raise funds for the restoration, and the charitable act of Han Yuanshan, the magistrate of Changzhou County, who donated his salary to support the project. The back features a line drawing of the Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta painted by Monk Muling, below which are carved long inscriptions by Muling and the names of donors who contributed to the restoration, including over a thousand individuals such as Shen Shixing, Zhang Fengyi, Wen Zhenmeng, Feng Shike, and Liu Hongdao, though the characters have now faded and most are barely legible. The left side displays line engravings of 500 arhats, inscribed with “Written and drawn by Disciple Zhou Tingce, engraved in stone by Monk Muling.” The same side also features paintings of Hanshan and Shide by Xue Mingyi, with poems by Chen Yuansu and Xue Mingyi inscribed above. The top of the pagoda features a centrally carved seated statue of Maitreya Buddha, with four seated Buddha figures in relief on each of its four sides. The base is adorned with carvings of Mount Sumeru and swirling cloud patterns.

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The Stone Pagoda on Bai Gongdi is a Suzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Stone Pagoda on Bai Gongdi is located next to the Five Martyrs’ Tomb at No. 775 Shantang Street, outside Changmen. It was designated as a Suzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit in 1982.

The Stone Pagoda on Bai Gongdi is commonly known as the Square Stele. It is a square column consisting of a base, main body, and top, with a total height of 3.16 meters. The front of the main body bears the “Record of the Reconstruction of Bai Gongdi,” written in December of the 39th year of the Wanli era (January 1612) by Wang Zhideng, inscribed by Wen Congjian in standard script, with most of the characters still legible. The inscription consists of two parts: a “Record” and an “Inscription,” recounting the reconstruction of Bai Gongdi between the 38th and 39th years of the Wanli era, praising the spirit of Monk Muling, who vowed to raise funds for the restoration, and the charitable act of Han Yuanshan, the magistrate of Changzhou County, who donated his salary to support the project. The back features a line drawing of the Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta painted by Monk Muling, below which are carved long inscriptions by Muling and the names of donors who contributed to the restoration, including over a thousand individuals such as Shen Shixing, Zhang Fengyi, Wen Zhenmeng, Feng Shike, and Liu Hongdao, though the characters have now faded and most are barely legible. The left side displays line engravings of 500 arhats, inscribed with “Written and drawn by Disciple Zhou Tingce, engraved in stone by Monk Muling.” The same side also features paintings of Hanshan and Shide by Xue Mingyi, with poems by Chen Yuansu and Xue Mingyi inscribed above. The top of the pagoda features a centrally carved seated statue of Maitreya Buddha, with four seated Buddha figures in relief on each of its four sides. The base is adorned with carvings of Mount Sumeru and swirling cloud patterns.

The Stone Pagoda on Bai Gongdi features a unique design, exquisite carvings, and rich content. Its inscriptions, calligraphy, paintings, poems, and donor lists were mostly created by notable figures of the Wu region during that time. It is a precious Ming Dynasty artifact with Buddhist significance and an important historical site documenting the history of Bai Gongdi (Shantang Street).