Guoxi Pavilion

Guoxi Pavilion

Guoxi Pavilion is a cultural relic protection unit of Hangzhou.

Guoxi Pavilion, also known as Erlao Pavilion, is where the heartwarming story of friendship between Su Dongpo and the monk Biancai from nine hundred years ago is recorded—a tale still fondly talked about today.

Why does a pavilion have two names, and who are the “two elders” mentioned? They actually refer to the eminent monk Biancai and the great literary master Su Shi of the Northern Song Dynasty. Su Shi was very fond of making friends with monks, and among many revered monks, he especially admired Biancai. Biancai was the third abbot of Fayi Temple on Shangtianzhu Mountain. His secular surname was Xu, and his given name was Yuanjing. At the age of eighteen, he came to Shangtianzhu in Hangzhou to study Tiantai teachings and became renowned in the regions of Wu and Yue for his eloquent teaching of Buddhist doctrines. Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty specially bestowed upon him a purple robe and granted him the Dharma name “Biancai.”

When Su Shi first came to Hangzhou, he visited Biancai at Shangtianzhu. Biancai also held Su Shi’s character and literary talent in high regard, and the two became close, inseparable friends. When Su Shi faced political exclusion due to factional strife in the court, Biancai, because of his association with Su Shi, was implicated and was even forced to leave Shangtianzhu for a time. Nevertheless, Biancai remained composed and serene, not distancing himself from Su Shi because of this. Later, when the political situation changed, Biancai returned to Shangtianzhu Temple to serve as its abbot.

In the second year of the Yuanyou era (1079), Biancai, then in his seventies, decided to retire from Shangtianzhu to Longjing due to declining energy. However, many visitors still came to see him because of his reputation. Left with no choice, Biancai established a monastic rule and posted it inside the temple: “Discussions in the hall should not last more than three incense sticks’ time; seeing guests off at the mountain gate should not go beyond Tiger Creek.” Tiger Creek is a small stream that flows down from Longjing, with a large rock in the middle shaped like a crouching tiger—hence the name. At that time, it had been nine years since Su Shi left Hangzhou. Upon hearing the news, he immediately wrote a letter to express his concern. It was another six years before the two met again. One day, Su Shi went to visit Biancai, and on their way to see him off, the two continued chatting cheerfully. Before they knew it, Biancai had seen Su Shi off beyond Tiger Creek. Only when the attendants around them exclaimed, “Master, you’ve crossed Tiger Creek!” did Biancai smile and say, “Didn’t Du Fu say, ‘With you I’ve grown old in friendship, our comings and goings remain refined’?” To commemorate this touching episode, Biancai built a pavilion over the creek, naming it both “Guoxi Pavilion” and “Erlao Pavilion,” and also composed a poem to record this elegant affair. Su Shi responded with a poem using the same rhyme.

Light-footed and steady, we stride, forgetting to return, Before the four-pillared pavilion, a rustic bridge lies low.

Suddenly realizing we’ve crossed the stream, we share a laugh— Startled waterfowl take flight, their emerald plumage aglow.

The year after writing this poem, Biancai passed away. At that time, Su Shi had been transferred to Yingzhou. Hearing the news, he was overwhelmed with grief but, being far away, was unable to attend the memorial service. Afterward, Su Shi never returned to Hangzhou, yet in his work *Dongpo Zhi Lin*, he wrote that the foremost thing to do when traveling through Wu and Yue was to visit Longjing and pay respects to Biancai’s portrait. This reflects his deep longing and remembrance for Master Biancai.

Today, Guoxi Pavilion—or Erlao Pavilion—still stands gracefully at the foot of Fenghuang Ridge, telling the timeless story of the friendship between Su Shi and Biancai.

Protected area: approximately 5 meters outside the cultural relic itself, covering a total area of 370 square meters.

Construction control zone: eastward to about 70 meters outside the protected area (up to the boundary of the small park), southward to about 30 meters outside the protected area, westward to about 50 meters outside the protected area (along the extended line of the mountain path), northward to about 70 meters outside the protected area (including multiple buildings at the foot of the mountain such as the Jiang Residence), covering a total area of 12,108 square meters.