Shifan Pagoda

Shifan Pagoda

Shifan Pagoda is a cultural relic protection unit of Fujian Province.

Shifan Pagoda is located on a small reef at the mouth of the Zhang River, about 20 kilometers east of Yunxiao County. It was originally built in the ninth year of the Kangxi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1670) by Chen Tianda, a local gentry member of Yunxiao, but later collapsed. In the nineteenth year of the Jiaqing reign (1814), Xue Ningdu, the magistrate of Yunxiao, raised funds to rebuild it. The pagoda has an octagonal floor plan, is an open, hollow stone tower, and stands 24.81 meters tall, with a base circumference of 22.2 meters. It tapers slightly with each ascending level, totaling seven stories, each featuring arched gateways. A stone staircase spirals up inside the pagoda to the top, where a carved stone gourd stands. The lintel of the second-floor doorway bears an inscription by Xue Ningdu reading “Eternal Prosperity of Culture,” written in an elegant and vigorous style. On the rock face to the right of the pagoda are four bold, vigorous characters — “Mighty Brush Reaching the Sky” — inscribed by Zhou Qing, another local gentry member of Yunxiao. Shifan Pagoda blends harmoniously with the surrounding rugged rocks and cliffs, standing majestically amid the surging waves. It faces off against General Mountain from afar, complementing it beautifully. Towering alone amidst the vast ocean, it resembles a pillar in the middle of a river, exuding extraordinary grandeur. Climbing to the top offers sweeping views of distant mountains like ribbons, and the vast seascape and sky stretching as far as the eye can see.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Fujian Province