The Shuangfeng Pagoda of Fuliang

The Shuangfeng Pagoda of Fuliang

The Shuangfeng Pagoda of Fuliang is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Shuangfeng Pagoda of Fuliang is located on the left slope of Baolian Mountain in Luogong Village, Luogong Township, Fuliang County, Jingdezhen City, Jiangxi Province, at the site of the former Shuangfeng Temple. It earned the name "Shuangfeng" (Twin Peaks) as it stands between two peaks of Baolian Mountain. This brick-and-stone Buddhist pagoda was originally built during the Tiansheng era (1023–1031) of the Northern Song Dynasty. The pagoda was constructed using specially fired bricks made from local materials, and has a hexagonal, six-faced structure. Its exterior consists of five stories, along with a base Sumeru pedestal and a top finial pedestal, making up a total of seven sections. The interior follows the five exterior levels but includes additional interlayers between each floor, totaling nine levels. It features an internal hollow-core structure with horizontal corridors around the inner shaft, classifying it as a brick-built pavilion-style Buddhist pagoda. The pagoda is hexagonal with five stories, facing west, and has a remaining height of 16.2 meters, which was restored to 19 meters. The base of each side measures only 3.5 meters, with no horizontal corridor layer, making it a typical arched-body pagoda. Each side of the plan is an arc with a curvature of about one-twentieth of a circle, and the body of the pagoda also curves. Each interior face is 1.13 meters wide, the wall thickness is 1.95 meters, and the diagonal distance across the pagoda is 7.00 meters. The first story is particularly tall at 4.55 meters, with the outer surface divided into upper and lower sections, where the junction shows traces of beam slots and foundation holes for the outer horizontal corridor. The outer five stories each have six doorways per face; on the first and second stories and above, two of the doorways serve as entry and exit points, another two as vertical passageways, and the remaining two are blocked to form inner wall niches. The interlayers also have openings on each face, housing wall niches and Buddha niches. There are wooden floors between the levels, and both the interior and exterior feature layers of corbelled eaves made of bricks. The inner walls, niches, Buddha niches, and doorway surfaces are coated with white lime plaster for a clean, white finish.

This type of arched-body pagoda is extremely rare among Buddhist pagodas throughout Chinese history, with only one or two surviving examples, showcasing a very high level of scientific and architectural sophistication. Meanwhile, the stone-carved Buddha statues in the pagoda’s niches feature exquisitely fine carvings, smooth lines, diverse postures, and lifelike expressions, demonstrating exceptional artistic value.

In 2019, the Shuangfeng Pagoda of Fuliang was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Address: Baolian Mountain, Luogong Village, Luogong Township, Fuliang County

Opening Information: Open to the public

Source: Jiangxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism

Luogong Village: Luogong Village…… More details about Luogong Village++

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units