Longde Temple Pagoda

Longde Temple Pagoda

Longde Temple Pagoda is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Era: Song Dynasty

Address: Located on Longfeng Mountain, east of Pujiang County, Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province

The pagoda was built in the ninth year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era during the Northern Song Dynasty (1016 AD), at the foot of the mountain where the former Longde Temple stood, hence its name. It is a brick-and-wood pavilion-style pagoda with elegant design and exquisite craftsmanship. The brick body of the pagoda stands 36 meters tall, has seven stories and six sides, forming a hexagonal shape. Each of the six sides features an arched doorway about two meters high, with the six doorways facing each other, creating a delicate and graceful appearance. Originally, the exterior of the pagoda had wooden eaves, balconies, bracket sets, and upturned flying corners that extended into the air. The staircase penetrates through the pagoda walls, crossing inside and outside, repeatedly turning upwards, allowing visitors to climb to the top. At each corner of the pagoda’s exterior, hexagonal pillars are used, with lintels between them. In the center of each side is a door-like opening, flanked by supporting columns. Balconies and eaves are adorned with bracket sets, and the eave edges are decorated with intricate carvings. The overall structure is both majestic and exquisitely detailed.

It underwent two major renovations: once in the third year of the Xuanhe era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1121) and again in the second year of the Baoyou era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1254). In the 29th year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1292), the pagoda was struck by lightning, causing it to tilt slightly to the east, after which it was repaired again. During the Zhengtong era of the Ming Dynasty, it suffered from a fire and was subsequently renovated again during the Wanli era. In 1979, the provincial cultural relics management committee allocated funds for its restoration. All the required bricks were produced locally according to the original dimensions, and the base and finial of the pagoda were largely preserved in their original form. In 1981, the Pujiang County Party Committee and County Government decided to establish a pagoda-centered park, Ta Mountain Park, at the foot of the pagoda, making it a popular leisure destination for the local people.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units