Chengtou Wenchang Pagoda

Chengtou Wenchang Pagoda

Chengtou Wenchang Pagoda is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

Wenchang Pagoda, located on the bank of the Gan River north of Xingan County in Ji'an City, sits in Chengtou Village, Jinchuan Town. It is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

This pagoda was originally made of wood and was reconstructed in the Ming Dynasty’s Wanli Year of Yimai (1595), when it was changed from a wooden to a brick structure. The pagoda is 35 meters high, has seven stories and eight sides, and was a landmark for boats navigating Xingan in ancient times. In 2006

The pagoda on Turtle Mountain on the eastern bank of the Gan River, 0–5 kilometers north of the city, was supervised by then-county magistrate Wang Wenjuan and built in the 23rd year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1595). It was renovated in the 2nd year of the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty (1797). According to the *Xingan County Annals*: “The Wenchang Pagoda is located five li to the north of the county seat… In the Wanli Year of Yimai of the Ming Dynasty, County Magistrate Wang Wen supervised its construction. Zeng Tongheng of Jiushui, who held the title of Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, left a written account. In the early years of the Jiaqing era of our dynasty, County Magistrate Zhao Zeng led local gentry in donating funds for its reconstruction.” The octagonal, seven-tiered pagoda is 1.5 zhang (approximately 5 meters) high per level, with a total height of 11.5 zhang (approximately 38 meters). Each level has four doors, with the orientation alternating every other floor. The base inside the pagoda is 1.5 zhang wide, and the walls are 0.8 zhang thick. Originally, each level had a spiral staircase leading up to the top. The first level opens to the southwest, with a door that is 1.65 meters high and 0.8 meters wide, situated 1.05 meters above ground level. Adjacent to the pagoda is Long’an Temple, which houses two steles: one erected in the 1st year of the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty (1488), in February of the Wu Shen year, and another erected during the 1835 renovation in the 15th year of the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty. In ancient times, it was regarded as a symbol of the rise and fall of literary culture in the region, hence its name. Also, because it is close to Chengtou Village, it is commonly known as the Chengtou Pagoda. The pagoda has been recently restored. In 2006, it was included in the fifth batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units