White Elephant Pagoda

White Elephant Pagoda

White Elephant Pagoda is a cultural relic protection unit of Yueqing City.

White Elephant Pagoda is located in Beibaixiang Town, Yueqing City. According to the Yongle-era (1403–1424) "Yueqing County Annals" of the Ming Dynasty, “The White Pagoda Temple was built on a residence donated by a local resident surnamed Chen in the ninth year of the Tian Sheng era (1031) of the Song Dynasty, received its name in the fourth year of the Zhi Ping era (1067), but was later abandoned. In the sixth year of the Hong Wu era (1373) of the current dynasty, Monk Daocheng renovated the Buddhist pagoda.” The Wanli-era (1573–1620) "Wenzhou Prefecture Annals" record: “In the forty-second year of the Jia Jing era (1563) of the Imperial Ming, Monk Dawen rebuilt it.” The pagoda is a pavilion-style structure made of blue stone, with a hexagonal floor plan. It has five stories, is about 14 meters high, is hollow inside, and each level gradually decreases in size. Research indicates that the base dates back to the original construction, while the body of the pagoda was built during the reconstruction, displaying architectural features of the Ming Dynasty.

Source: Wenzhou Museum