Shuixi Twin Pagodas

Shuixi Twin Pagodas

The Shuixi Twin Pagodas are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Shuixi Twin Pagodas in Jing County consist of one large pagoda, known as the Daguan Pagoda, and one smaller square pagoda. Historical records from the Ningguo Prefecture Annals and the Jing County Annals, as well as inscriptions on the existing pagodas, confirm that the Daguan Pagoda was first built in the second year of the Daguan era during the Northern Song Dynasty (1108). The Daguan Pagoda has seven stories and eight sides, with a bottom diameter of 11 meters and wall thickness of 3.1 meters. Each side has a brick arched doorway, and each level features corbelled short eaves. Below the eaves are protruding wooden-style bracket sets. Each level has double-layered eaves, with bricks arranged in neat patterns. At the corners between levels, semicircular bricks form half-columns, giving the entire pagoda a solemn and magnificent appearance. The pagoda originally had stairs and floorboards inside, but these no longer exist, and there is no definitive evidence as to when they were destroyed. Legend has it that after the Taiping Army occupied Jing County, local wealthy families and officials hid in the pagoda to escape them. They removed the stairs at the base, preventing the Taiping Army from climbing up. In retaliation, the Taiping Army piled firewood inside the pagoda and set it ablaze from the bottom to the top, destroying the spire in the process. Afterwards, local monks found 107 skulls while clearing the debris. To this day, scorched marks from the fire can still be seen on the inner walls of the pagoda.

Interestingly, although the pagoda lacks a spire, it does not detract from its beauty. On the contrary, the top of the pagoda is covered with various trees and weeds, some as thick as small buckets, growing lush and vibrant. Ancient vines also twine around the pagoda, adding to its rustic charm. These plants have taken root at the top of the 20-meter-high pagoda and have survived for centuries through wind and rain, growing even more lush with time—truly a marvel among ancient pagodas. The Daguan Pagoda has a particularly unique shape, rarely seen in the south of the Yangtze River. It is massive and octagonal, with seven stories that show no tapering, resembling a nearly cylindrical form. The inner and outer walls of the pagoda are inlaid with 36 stone carvings of varying sizes. One inscription on the sixth story’s inner wall reads: “...The Baosheng Chan Monastery constructed a thirteen-story Sarira Pagoda for all beings to find refuge... on the 15th day of the third month in the sixth year of the Zhenghe era (1116).” This suggests that the original plan was to build a 13-story pagoda, but due to frequent wars and limited resources in the late Northern Song Dynasty, construction stopped at the seventh story, leaving the lower half of the pagoda uniformly thick.

Observations of the pagoda’s top reveal further clues. The top is a roughly finished brick dome built using the corbeling method. The previously mentioned destruction of the spire by the Taiping Army may not be entirely accurate. The 1801 Jing County Annals’ illustration of the Shuixi scenery depicts the Daguan Pagoda without a spire, showing only a cluster of tree branches at the top. Some speculate that the pagoda may never have had a spire to begin with, possibly left unfinished for future generations to complete. However, over 50 years later (in 1161, the 31st year of the Shaoxing era in the Southern Song Dynasty), locals built another small square pagoda about 400 meters to the left of the original one. A local legend offers an explanation: the area was once a mountain said to be transforming into a centipede demon. It was believed that if the centipede demon completed its transformation, every resident of Jing County would become an official—essentially guaranteeing official positions for all. The county magistrate at the time, a outsider, fearing this and driven by jealousy, invited a sorcerer from elsewhere to break the spell. They built a large pagoda at the “head” of the centipede mountain and a small one at the “tail,” pinning the demon in place. As a result, few people from Jing County became officials afterward.

Clearly, this is a local myth. However, the construction of these two pagodas is closely tied to the prevalence of Buddhism at the time. As early as 508, the first year of the Yongping era in the Northern Wei Dynasty, a temple called Lingyan Temple was built here. It was renovated in 674, the first year of the Shangyuan era in the Tang Dynasty, and renamed Tian Gong Shuixi Temple. The eminent Tang Dynasty monk Master Huangbo once resided here, making it a thriving Buddhist center and a renowned sacred site in the south. The Baosheng Hall here served as a major hub for Buddhist activities. The two pagodas from the Song Dynasty were built on either side of the Baosheng Chan Monastery, clearly intended to serve as “a refuge for all beings.” The inscriptions on the pagodas detailing donations from devotees provide detailed accounts of the faithful’s contributions. The Daguan Pagoda is also known as the Chongning Pagoda. The 1801 Jing County Annals state: “The pagoda in front of the Baosheng Chan Monastery is the Chongning Pagoda, built during the Daguan era, presumably started in the Chongning era and completed in the Daguan era.” In reality, the pagodas were not completed in the Daguan era but rather between the Zhenghe and Chonghe eras. However, planning and preparation began in the Chongning era, and construction started in the second year of the Daguan era. By the sixth year of the Zhenghe era, only the sixth story had been completed. Spanning three dynasties and over a decade, with multiple interruptions, the construction of these pagodas was an arduous task.

By the Southern Song Dynasty, the nation’s strength had weakened further, and the economy had declined. Locals lacked the resources to complete the upper half of the pagoda (which would have required significantly more work than the lower half), and the spire was never installed. However, out of devotion to Buddhism and the need to maintain the temple layout, they built the smaller square pagoda to the left within their means. Of course, it’s also possible that the smaller pagoda was built by another Buddhist sect. Originally, there was a temple called Chongqing Temple, located behind which the small square pagoda stands. In ancient times, Jing County had many temples, most of which had pagodas. Following the tradition of “where there is a temple, there is a pagoda,” Chongqing Temple built the small square pagoda. Although the small square pagoda is much simpler than the Daguan Pagoda in terms of size, scale, cost, and construction techniques, it reflects the same Buddhist ideals. This square pagoda has an outer side length of 3.5 meters at the base (slightly wider than the wall thickness of the Daguan Pagoda). The northern and southern walls of the first story feature stone carvings of Buddha statues, with Buddha halos carved on the back. The pagoda also houses over ten inscribed steles of donations and Buddhist scriptures. In June 2001, the State Council designated the Shuixi Twin Pagodas as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. Currently, cultural heritage authorities are conducting comprehensive restoration work on the twin pagodas, which will soon regain their former glory.

Protected Area: 50 meters east of the Daguan Pagoda’s eastern base to the adjacent fence of Baosheng Temple, 70 meters south of the southern base to the north side of the Jingyun Highway, 50 meters west of the western base, and 100 meters north of the northern base. The observation deck is included within the protected area. For the small square pagoda: 50 meters east to the Jingyun Highway and 50 meters east of the pagoda, south to the foot of the mountain cliff, west to the contour line of the mountain approximately 50 meters west of the pagoda, and north to the contour line of the mountain approximately 50 meters north of the pagoda.

Construction Control Zone: Category I includes forested areas, rivers, and farmland, which are non-construction zones, covering a total area of approximately 42.23 hectares. Boundaries: 200 meters west of the Daguan Pagoda’s protected area, extending into a mountain valley; 100 meters east of the small square pagoda’s protected area, extending to a valley between the Southern Anhui Incident Martyrs' Cemetery; 400 meters north of the protected area of both pagodas; 200 meters south of the national highway, including the Qingyi River and its southern farmland.

Category II includes two areas, totaling approximately 6.26 hectares. The first area consists of Baosheng Temple and the mountain valley to its east and north. The second area is the built-up zone of Zhaojia Village in the southwest corner. Boundaries for the first area: east and west are defined by the protected areas of the small square pagoda and the Daguan Pagoda, respectively; the north is a valley between two mountains, extending about 200 meters inward from the valley entrance; the south extends to the north side of the Jingyun Highway. Boundaries for the second area: east intersects with the west boundary of the Daguan Pagoda’s protected area, extending 150 meters west; the south is along the north bank of the Qingyi River; the north is the edge of the current village at the foot of the mountain.

Exact Location: Located at the scenic foothills of Shuixi Mountain in Jing County

Inquiry Phone: 0563---5872589

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units