Yueshan Fayun Temple Pagoda

Yueshan Fayun Temple Pagoda

Yueshan Fayun Temple Pagoda is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Era: Ming Dynasty

Location: 6 km southeast of Yueshan County, Anqing City, Anhui Province, in Houchong, Jinshan Township.

The stele commemorating the renovation of Fayun Temple during the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty records: “The temple on the back mountain north of Qian (i.e., Yueshan), also known as Fayun Temple, had a seven-story pagoda built during the Xianhe era of the Jin Dynasty (326–334 AD). During the Xianfeng era, fires of war raged everywhere — though the pagoda survived, all the halls were destroyed...”. The renovated Fayun Temple was demolished in 1958. The extant ancient pagoda is the tallest Buddhist structure in the county. The pagoda is square in shape, seven stories high, with a total height of 28 meters. It features flying eaves and bracket sets, and is a pavilion-style building; the base is 3.5 meters wide and 1.35 meters high, constructed from strip stones. At its center is a hollow tower core that extends to the top. Each of the seven levels has 10 brick-carved niches on each façade, with each niche containing three Buddha statues — one large and two small — created using molded patterns. The central figure is Shakyamuni Buddha, flanked by Kasyapa and Ananda, totaling 1,680 statues (hence also called the Thousand Buddha Pagoda). The statues are vividly crafted, lifelike and expressive.

In October 1988, the pagoda was designated as a Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the Provincial People’s Government.

Protected Area: East to the eaves drip line of the dining hall, south to the front hall (8 meters beyond the pagoda base), west to 6 meters beyond the pagoda base, and north to the Mahavira Hall.

Construction Control Zone: Outside the protected area — east to the small stream east of Gaozishi that leads directly down to the reservoir, south to the northern shore of the reservoir, west 20 meters, and north to the original site of Shangtianshi.

Qianfo Pagoda Village: Located in the northern part of Xiangchang Town, Yueshan County, Qianfo Pagoda Village is 7 km from the county seat. It is named after the ancient Thousand Buddha Pagoda located within its boundaries. The village covers a total area of 4.4 square kilometers, and currently administers 25 villager groups, with 667 households and a population of 2,585. It has one Party general branch and two Party branches, with 65 Party members. In 2005, it was awarded the title of “Advanced Village in Whole-Village Poverty Alleviation and Development” by the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, and is now a pilot village in the first batch of Anhui Province’s “Hundred Towns and Thousand Villages” demonstration project for new rural construction.

In recent years, the village’s two committees have led the people in seeking truth and being pragmatic, pioneering and striving... Detailed information about Qianfo Pagoda Village ++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units