Floating Jade Pagoda

The Floating Jade Pagoda. The Floating Jade Pagoda was destroyed by explosion in 1971.Floating Jade PagodaThe ruins are located in the fields of Floating Jade Mountain in Bilang Lake.

The Floating Jade Pagoda is a cultural relic protection unit of Huzhou City.

The Floating Jade Pagoda is located on Floating Jade Mountain in Bilang Lake, south of Huzhou City. Also known as the Lotus Pagoda or the Ten Thousand Victories Pagoda, it was built during the Jiajing era (1522–1566) of the Ming Dynasty by the judicial officer Zhang Yinglei, and was later renovated during the Shunzhi era (1644–1661) of the Qing Dynasty. The pagoda faces Xianshan and Daochang mountains, is flanked by Peach Blossom Garden, and lies beside the East Tiaoxi River. It is a seven-story brick pagoda, with images of the God of Literature (Kuixing) carved on the walls of each level, along with the running script inscription "Prosperity of Literary Fortune" and the traditional eight-character blessing. In July 1961, the Wu Xing County People's Committee designated it as a county-level cultural relic protection unit. In March 1971, it was destroyed due to land reclamation from the lake, and only the pagoda foundation remains today.

In the second year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1574), Magistrate Li Qi selected a sandbank in Bilang Lake to rebuild a pagoda to further enhance the scholarly atmosphere. Initially named the Ten Thousand Victories Pagoda, it was an octagonal, seven-story pavilion-style brick pagoda, with carvings of the God of Literature on the brick walls of each level. Reconstructed during the Jiajing era (1522–1566) by Zhang Yinglei, the judicial officer of Huzhou Prefecture, it was renamed the Lotus Pagoda. It was later renovated again during the Shunzhi era (1644–1661) of the Qing Dynasty and given the name Floating Jade Pagoda. The sandbank would appear and disappear with the rise and fall of the lake’s water, resembling floating white jade, hence the name.