Songshan Rock Pagoda

Songshan Rock Pagoda

Songshan Rock Pagoda is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

“Songshan Rock Pagoda” is located within a bamboo grove of about 600 square meters in the home of Lei in Yuantang, Xingnong Village, Gangshang Town. The area is surrounded by lush bamboo on all sides, and approximately 20 meters to the west is the residence of the grove owner.

Although “Songshan Rock Pagoda” was originally named “Putuo Buddhist Pagoda” (as clearly stated in the inscription “Introduction to Songshan Rock Pagoda” carved beneath the pagoda’s base), local residents commonly refer to it as Putuo Buddhist Pagoda due to the numerous Buddhist niches, deity names, and—carved on the pagoda.

According to the “Introduction to Songshan Rock Pagoda” inscribed at the base of the pagoda, it was built in the fifth year of the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1526 AD) by local residents to ward off evil spirits and was later moved several zhang (a traditional Chinese unit of length) eastward from its original location to its current position in the fourth year of the Chongzhen era of the Qing Dynasty (1631 AD).

The full text of the “Introduction to Songshan Rock Pagoda,” located at the base, is as follows:

Introduction to Songshan Rock Pagoda

This pagoda was first erected in the fifth year of the Jiajing reign. Tracing its origins, this area had no inhabitants □□ and other such things, and the mountains were bare and barren. The local elders disliked its desolation and wilderness, so they planned to build [the pagoda] to suppress [the negative forces]. It has been over a hundred years now. The high areas have been leveled, the low ones filled in, and the trees planted here have grown dense. The dwellings that have emerged are now like a small neighborhood, seemingly making the pagoda unnecessary. But because the remnants of the efforts of our forebears remain, we have chosen to renew the old and move it forward a few steps, expanding it to roughly double its previous size. This is also to serve as a reminder and not to forget □ (Note: the character on the stele is a compound: the upper part is “mountain” with a vertical stroke connecting down to a horizontal line below, the middle is “one,” and the lower is “sun.” Upon research, this character is a variant form of the character “时” [time/era])

The fourth year of the Chongzhen reign, in the year of Xinwei, mid-

Autumn, on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival

Recorded by the local man Da Jing

Together with his son Bing Xuan, rebuilt

To forever guard for ten thousand years

“Songshan Rock Pagoda” is a multi-story pavilion-style stone pagoda, consisting of a half-level base, seven levels of the pagoda body (including seven eaves), plus a pagoda top and a gourd-shaped finial. The pagoda is octagonal in plan (facing east).

Each level of the pagoda is carved from a single piece of red sandstone. The body of each level is inscribed with the names of Buddhas or — or niches in intaglio. The plain eaves have a distinctive feature: a horseshoe-shaped recess carved in the center of each of the eight upward-facing sides.

Now, let’s introduce the inscriptions and carvings on the pagoda from the bottom up:

(The eight sides introduced below are, in order: east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest, north, northeast; the four sides are: east, south, west, north.)

The first level of the pagoda body on the east side features a concave niche housing a seated Guanyin statue on a lotus throne. The other seven sides bear vertically inscribed regular script in intaglio, featuring the full text of the “Introduction to Songshan Rock Pagoda” (separately introduced in the “Historical Background”).

The eight sides of the second level of the pagoda body are inscribed in vertical regular script with the names of various Vajras: Dingchi Xiao Vajra, Zi Xian Vajra, Da Shen Vajra, Qing Chu Zai Vajra, Pi Du Vajra, Huang Sui Qiu Vajra, Bai Qing Shui Vajra, and Chi Sheng Huo Vajra.

The eight sides of the third level of the pagoda body are inscribed in vertical regular script with the names of various Bodhisattvas: Guanyin Bodhisattva, De Da Shi Bodhisattva, Wu Jin Yi Bodhisattva, Bao Tan Hua Bodhisattva, Yao Wang Bodhisattva, Yao Shang Bodhisattva, Maitreya Bodhisattva, and Manjushri Bodhisattva.

The four sides of the fourth level of the pagoda body are inscribed in vertical regular script with the names of various Buddhas: Xia Fang Shi Zi Fo, Shakyamuni Buddha, Shang Fang Fan Yin Fo, and Zhong Yang Kun Lu Fo.

The four sides of the fifth level of the pagoda body are inscribed in vertical regular script with the names of various Buddhas: Dong Fang A Chu Fo, Nan Fang Bao Sheng Fo, Xi Fang Mi Tuo Fo, and Bei Fang Cheng Jiu Fo.

The sixth level of the pagoda body is divided into eight sides, inscribed in vertical regular script with:

□ The Heart Sutra of Prajnaparamita, the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara’s practice □□ When one sees with wisdom, one perceives that the five aggregates are empty, thus transcending all suffering and distress. Shariputra, form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form; form is emptiness, emptiness is form. The same applies to sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. Shariputra, all dharmas are characterized by emptiness: they are not born, not destroyed, not impure, not pure, not increasing, not decreasing. Therefore, in emptiness there is no form, no sensation, no perception, no mental formations, no consciousness; no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind; no form, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch, no dharma; no eye-element up to no mind-consciousness-element; no ignorance, no extinction of ignorance, up to no aging and death, no extinction of aging and death; no suffering, no origin of suffering, no cessation of suffering, no path; no wisdom, no attainment, and no non-attainment. Therefore, the Bodhisattva, relying on the Prajnaparamita, has no hindrance in the mind, no fear, and is free from deluded thoughts, ultimately attaining Nirvana. All Buddhas of the three times, relying on the Prajnaparamita, attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Therefore, know that the Prajnaparamita is the great transcendent mantra, the great bright mantra, the supreme mantra, the incomparable mantra, which can eliminate all suffering and is true and not false. Therefore, proclaim the Prajnaparamita mantra, which says: Gate gate pāragate pārasaṃgate bodhi svāhā. The Heart Sutra of Prajnaparamita

The four sides of the seventh level of the pagoda body each feature a concave niche housing a seated Guanyin statue on a lotus throne.

Above the seven layers of eaves is the pagoda top, the upper part of which has four concave semi-circular cavities located in the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest.

Above the pagoda top is the gourd-shaped finial.

On December 10, 1985, the Nanchang Municipal People's Government listed it as one of the first batch of Nanchang Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Source: Nanchang County Museum

Xingnong Village: Xingnong Village…… Xingnong Village detailed information++

Further reading:

· Sixth batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units