Jinhua Falong Temple Pagoda

Jinhua Falong Temple Pagoda

The Jinhua Falong Temple Pagoda is a national key cultural relic protection unit.

The Falong Temple Pagoda is located in Jinqian Temple Village, south of Jinhua City. It is a key cultural relic protection unit at the provincial level in Zhejiang Province. Although the Falong Temple itself has been destroyed, the pagoda remains well-preserved. Part of its base is buried underground, with the visible portion standing 6.3 meters tall. It has a flat octagonal shape, while the body of the pagoda is an octagonal column inscribed with the “Uṣṇīṣa Vijaya Dhāraṇī Sūtra” and the “Pagoda Construction Record,” as well as the inscription “Erected on the fifteenth day of the eleventh month of the eleventh year of the Dazhong era (November 15, 857),” dating back over 1,140 years. The column is adorned with bas-reliefs of Manjushri riding a lion, Samantabhadra riding an elephant, and numerous Buddhist disciples, all intricately and vividly carved. Above these are circular canopies, beneath which sit four celestial musicians resembling those found in the Mogao Caves. The carvings on the Falong Temple Pagoda are exquisitely detailed, with bold and powerful lines, tight structure, and balanced proportions, fully reflecting the craftsmanship of stone carving in the Jiangnan region during the Tang Dynasty. The balustrade components on the pagoda are among the earliest physical examples of balustrades discovered in Zhejiang Province, holding significant cultural and historical value.

Source: China Jinhua Government Portal Website

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relic Protection Units