Ancient South Pagoda

Ancient South Pagoda

The Ancient South Pagoda is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

Commonly known as Ma Lan Pagoda, the Ancient South Pagoda is located west of Silong Bridge in Gunan Town, Ji'an City. According to the *Lu Ling County Annals*, “The Ancient South Pagoda Temple is situated south of the Water God Temple. There is a pagoda atop which bears the Chiwu era inscription, and the bricks used in its construction also bear the Chiwu characters.” Legend has it that the layout of Ji'an City was designed to resemble a wooden raft, with stakes (i.e., the Ancient South Pagoda to the south and the Wenfeng Pagoda to the northeast) driven at either end to prevent the river from rising. The pagoda has nine stories and stands 28 meters tall on the western bank of the Gan River. It was originally built in the second year of the Chiwu era (239 AD) during the Three Kingdoms period under the Wu Kingdom. Judging by its architectural style, the current structure dates back to the Yuan Dynasty.

Location

West of Silong Bridge, Gunan Town, Jizhou District, Ji'an City, Jiangxi Province

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Jiangxi Province