Tianchi Pagoda

Tianchi Pagoda

It is said to have been built by Han Tuozhou, a prime minister of the Song Dynasty. In 1929, Tang Shengzhi, commander-in-chief of the First Army of the National Revolutionary Army, visited Mount Lu and saw that the pagoda was in disrepair, so he initiated its restoration. When excavating the foundation chamber beneath the pagoda, multiple Buddhist relics were discovered. These included a silver full-length reclining Buddha, 9 inches long and weighing about 1 jin; a silver rectangular box, over 2 jin in weight and more than a foot long; a small crystal Buddha statue, 5 inches long; crystal beads of various sizes, one each; a small silver bottle containing hundreds of small crystal prayer beads; several sarira (relics); a silver-gilt bottle; two stone Sanskrit seals, each over an inch long; and three bronze arhats. According to inscriptions on the back of the golden Buddha, the pagoda was originally built in the 11th year of Emperor Zhezong of the Song Dynasty (1069 AD), before Han Tuozhou became prime minister, and was actually constructed by Zhu San Niang and others from Qizhou, Hubei.

Admission

Included in the general ticket

Opening Hours

All day

Location

Within the Mount Lu Scenic Area