Ruyuan Pagoda

Ruyuan Pagoda

Ruyuan Pagoda is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

Ruyuan Pagoda is located on Longshan Ridge (commonly known as "Pagoda Ridge") in the southwest of Pingxiang City, Jiangxi Province, and is a scenic landmark of the area. According to the Pingxiang County Annals, the pagoda was originally built during the Tang Dynasty (Southern Tang period), later collapsed, and was rebuilt during the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty (approximately 1821–1830).

The pagoda has seven tiers and six sides, stands 26.97 meters tall, with a base diameter of 8.8 meters and covers a ground area of 60 square meters at the bottom level. The first and top levels are constructed from granite, while the other levels are made of bricks. It is exquisitely built, elegantly shaped, and has a majestic presence. Originally, there was a staircase leading to the top, but it no longer exists.

Stone tablets are embedded inside the pagoda, with inscriptions documenting its construction history. The tablets are framed with carved stone dragons and feature bas-relief carvings of a red phoenix facing the sun. The base level is built from granite, while the upper levels are constructed with blue bricks. Each tier extends eaves formed by layers of bluestone slabs, with stone-carved horse-head-shaped cornices on each edge, and each level has four window openings.

Ruyuan Pagoda is a local landmark and a relatively well-preserved ancient structure left by ancestors. According to the Pingxiang County Annals, the pagoda was originally built during the Tang Dynasty (Southern Tang period). Back then, local villagers constructed it to suppress an evil dragon and protect residents. Later, the pagoda collapsed due to long-term neglect. It was rebuilt in the original location during the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty (approximately 1821–1830), which is the pagoda seen today. In April 1983, Ruyuan Pagoda was designated as a municipal-level key cultural relic protection unit. Unfortunately, due to lack of maintenance, for a long period between the 1990s and 2018, wild grass and trees grew rampantly around the ancient pagoda, multiple holes in the walls were damaged, and some sections suffered severe loss of blue bricks. The interior became damp and dirty, even serving as a shelter for urban vagrants, and the historical relics inside also deteriorated to some extent. Fortunately, in 2017, restoration work on the pagoda began along with the adjacent Buddhist temple, and was completed in early 2018. Today, the overgrown weeds have been cleared, the half-buried base level has been excavated, and a surrounding wall has been built for protection.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units