Sword Casket Pavilion

Sword Casket Pavilion

Located in Shahu Park in the eastern part of Fengcheng City, Jiangxi Province, it was built to commemorate the legend of the Fengcheng swords. The sword casket in the pavilion is an original artifact unearthed during the Jin Dynasty and was originally located in the Sword Pond at Rongtang. Legend has it that the sword casket was discovered by County Magistrate Lei Huan of the Jin Dynasty when he excavated the foundation of a prison, and it contained two precious swords — the swords were taken out, but the casket remained. The *Gazetteer of Fengcheng County* from the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty, under the section “Historical Sites,” records: “The sword casket was initially on the overgrown grass above the Sword Pond. In the 26th year of the Jiajing reign (1547) of the Ming Dynasty, Magistrate Han Bi, who was promoted to become the Prefect of Nanchang in the 40th year of Jiajing (1561), had it moved to the Confucian school. Moreover, *Records of the Ancient Sword Casket* by Liu Minghe of the Qing Dynasty states: ‘The original casket was kept at the old government seat of Fengyi, west of the Fengshui River, while the stone casket was relocated to the current seat of government, placed in front of the study hall of the Confucian school, next to Scholar Qi’s quarters. He then instructed for the stone casket to be lifted and placed inside a pavilion, surrounded by railings. In the 12th year of the Jiaqing reign (1808), it was moved east of the Classics Pavilion to form a pavilion and covered, but soon collapsed. In the 4th year of the Daoguang reign (1824), Deputy Magistrate Yao Mindi reconstructed it.’”

The Sword Casket Pavilion is octagonal in shape, featuring six standing stone pillars and an octagonal pointed roof, standing about 10 meters tall with an ancient aesthetic. At its center is placed the “stone casket,” which is 1.7 meters long, 0.5 meters wide, and 1.2 meters high, with a groove-shaped hollow in the middle used for storing swords. Above the entrance of the pavilion, there is a bluestone plaque inscribed with the three-character horizontal board “Sword Casket Pavilion,” and a pair of stone pillars engraved with the couplet: “The remaining casket still holds memories of the homeland; where now lies the dragon transformed?” The message is subtle, and the calligraphy is vigorous and elegant. On the wall directly behind the sword casket is embedded a stone slab inscribed with the pavilion stele, recounting the story of how Magistrate Lei Huan of Fengcheng County unearthed swords from the prison foundation in the first year of the Yongping era (291), as well as the origin of the sword casket. The area around the pavilion is shaded by lush pines and cypresses, presenting an atmosphere of simplicity and dignity. Regarding the origin and relocation of the sword casket, the *Miscellaneous Accounts* section of the *Gazetteer of Fengcheng County* from the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty records: “The Records of Longguang Academy state: After the precious swords were excavated, the casket remained in the pond. During a severe drought in the Ming Jiajing era, locals, based on an old legend that digging up the casket would bring rain, prayed at the Temple of Zhang and Lei. They then dug up the soil in the pond and indeed found a casket, its bottom and lid still fitting together as before. When they lifted the lid ashore, suddenly thunder roared and a storm gathered, and within moments, mud and sand filled the hole, preventing further retrieval. Later, the lid was moved to the Hall of Enlightenment in the Confucian school.” After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, during the Cultural Revolution (“the 0”), the Sword Casket Pavilion was demolished, though the base of the stone casket survived damaged. In 1982, the People’s Government of Fengcheng County built Shahu Park, constructing a Sword Light Pavilion within it. In 1987, it was renamed the Sword Casket Pavilion, and the ancient sword casket was moved into it for visitors to admire.