Pearl Pagoda

Pearl Pagoda

The Pearl Pagoda is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

Era: Yuan Dynasty

Type: Ancient Architecture

Address: Outang Taxia Village, Zhaibu Township, Jinxian County, Jiangxi Province

Introduction:

The Pearl Pagoda is located about 50 meters south of Outang Taxia Village, Zhaibu Township, Jinxian County, beside a rice field, with a fish pond to its south.

The Pearl Pagoda stands 1.7 meters tall and is built from seven carved and stacked red sandstone blocks. From bottom to top, it includes the first tier of the pagoda body (without a base), the first tier of the eaves, the second tier of the pagoda body, the second tier of the eaves, the third tier of the pagoda body, and the finial. It is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

The pagoda body faces south and has six sides, shaped like a drum. The first tier features shallow relief carvings of Buddhas and the names of various guardian deities. The front of the second tier is inscribed with “the 2nd day of the 6th month of the Huang Tai Ding 2nd year” (6th June, 1325 AD), while the other five sides have shallow relief carvings of seated Buddhas (all the above carvings are incised, and due to age, the inscriptions are difficult to discern).

The eaves show signs of wear, and part of the finial is missing. The incised inscriptions and Buddha images are blurred. In 1983, a granite base and protective railing were built around it, and it is now well preserved.

During the floods in 1983, the original earthen foundation was destroyed, causing the pagoda to lean sideways in the field. In October of that year, the provincial cultural relics bureau allocated funds for its restoration.

This pagoda is one of the earliest accurately dated stone pagodas from the Yuan Dynasty in China and holds significant reference value for the study of Yuan Dynasty pagoda architecture.

In December 1987, it was designated as part of the third batch of provincial-level cultural relic protection units in Jiangxi Province.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units