Fengbei Pagoda in Fenghua

Fengbei Pagoda in Fenghua

Fengbei Pagoda is a cultural heritage site protected at the district level in Fenghua.

Fengbei Pagoda is located on the earthen embankment beside a stream to the southeast of Xiachen Village, Chunhu Town, Fenghua City, surrounded by farmland. In February 1987, it was designated as part of the third batch of municipal-level cultural heritage sites by the People’s Government of Fenghua City.

Fengbei Pagoda is a seven-story, hexagonal brick structure standing 17.25 meters tall with a hollow interior. The first story is 1.70 meters wide on each side, with stone steles embedded into each face. The northern face bears the inscription “Fengbei Pagoda,” while the northwest face lists the names of the pagoda’s builders. The other faces feature inscriptions from a stele written by Sun Shilun, a successful candidate in the imperial examinations during the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty, documenting the pagoda’s construction. The six upper stories each have arched door-like openings (kūnmén), with varied decorative patterns on their lintels, including bats and ruyi symbols. Due to the relatively small base—only 3.40 meters in diameter—and the modest tapering of each level, coupled with undecorated eaves formed simply by four flat bricks projecting outward, the pagoda has a slender, elegant form, resembling a giant sword standing by the Xiangshan Harbor, accompanied by the sea and white clouds.

According to the inscriptions on the construction stele, Xiachen Village had long lacked a thriving literary culture and produced few scholars, and it was believed that only by building a pagoda could the area’s spiritual essence and refined atmosphere be enhanced. Villagers Chen Dengwei and Dong Yaxuan aspired to build the pagoda, but unfortunately passed away before achieving their goal. Their wives, Madames Zhang and Wang, carried on their husbands’ legacy, jointly contributing funds to fulfill their dream. Since the purpose of constructing the pagoda was to cultivate “wind energy” (a metaphor for cultural vitality), it was named “Fengbei” (Cultivate Wind). It was hoped that after the pagoda’s completion, “talented individuals would emerge conspicuously.”

Due to damage to the pagoda’s structure and the loss of its spire, Fengbei Pagoda was renovated in 2002 with funding from the Fenghua Cultural Relics Protection Office.