Huzhen Relic Pagoda

Huzhen Relic Pagoda

The Huzhen Relic Pagoda is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Huzhen Relic Pagoda is located within the Relic Pagoda Courtyard on Xiajie Street, Huzhen, Longyou County, Zhejiang Province. Its original construction date is unknown, but inscribed bricks on the second and sixth levels, among others, bear relief regular script characters reading "Rebuilt in the seventh month of the third year of the Jiayou era by Jiang Kui," clearly indicating that the pagoda was rebuilt in the seventh month of the third year of the Jiayou era (1058) during the Northern Song Dynasty. In 2001, the Huzhen Relic Pagoda was announced as part of the fifth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council. The pagoda is a hexagonal, seven-story, solid-brick structure imitating a wooden pavilion-style tower, standing 31.5 meters tall with a base 2.3 meters wide on each side and a Sumeru pedestal 1.6 meters high. Its exterior structure completely mimics that of a wooden pavilion-style building, making it a classic example of brick pagodas built to resemble wood. The unique feature lies in using bricks to replicate the form of a wooden pavilion-style tower. The overall proportions of the pagoda are well-balanced, its form slender, and its construction exquisitely refined.

The beams, columns, brackets, and balconies all exhibit fine craftsmanship, especially the delicate carvings on the bracket arms, which display a subtle and graceful aesthetic. Each level features refined structural elements. The eaves hang delicately, the carvings are well-preserved, and the decorative patterns are intricate and vivid. The carving style is ancient yet elegant, and many historical relics remain intact. During the 1980s and 1990s, when the area was undergoing demolition, archaeologists discovered a large number of cultural relics beneath the pagoda courtyard, including a particularly eye-catching bronze seven-story pavilion-style square pagoda dated to the sixth year of the Jiayou era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1054). In front of the pagoda courtyard, there is also a well-preserved old street, now designated as a Zhejiang Provincial Historical and Cultural Preservation Zone.

Huzhen Town: Huzhen Town in Longyou County is located at the eastern gateway of Quzhou City, covering an area of 104.5 square kilometers. It governs 71 administrative villages, 3 neighborhood committees, 1 farm, and has a total population of 59,600. It is a bustling commercial hub with a strong mercantile atmosphere. The town is traversed by the electrified double-track of the Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway and Provincial Highway 46, while the Hangzhou–Jinhua–Quzhou Expressway and the Qu River run along its northern edge. The Shiliping Prison Area is also situated here, giving the town a highly strategic geographic location. Located in the triangular area between Jinhua, Lanxi, and Quzhou, Huzhen is a relatively developed town among Zhejiang’s less-developed regions. It serves as a central town of Longyou County and a… [More detailed information about Huzhen Town++]

Further Reading:

· Eight Pagodas of Longyou

· Fifth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units