Xinglong Pagoda

Xinglong Pagoda

Xinglong Pagoda is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Xinglong Pagoda, located in the northeast corner of Yanzhou city within the current museum grounds, derives its name from the ancient Xinglong Temple that once stood here. Though the temple has long been destroyed, the pagoda remains standing. Standing 54 meters tall with thirteen stories, it is an octagonal pavilion-style brick pagoda. Visitors can climb the internal stairway to the seventh-floor platform, where they can lean on the stone railing and gaze out at the panoramic views of Yanzhou. The construction of Xinglong Pagoda dates back to the Kaihuang era (589–600) of the Sui Dynasty. It has undergone renovations in subsequent dynasties, and several steles commemorating restorations from the Northern Song and Qing Dynasties can still be found inside the pagoda. The structure is dignified and upright, piercing the sky, with a robust lower section that suddenly tapers above the seventh floor, resembling a smaller pagoda perched atop a larger one—a unique architectural form rarely seen in China. Xinglong Pagoda is currently a Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Architectural Structure

It is an octagonal, thirteen-story hollow brick pavilion-style pagoda with a base perimeter of 48 meters and a height of 54 meters. The second story features an external balcony, while blind windows decorate the second, fourth, sixth, and seventh stories. The structure is divided into two sections stacked vertically, resembling a mother supporting a child. The lower seven stories are thick and sturdy, with stepped brick stairways inside and corridors between floors, allowing visitors to spiral upwards. A 2-meter-wide balcony is formed between the two sections, encircled by carved stone railings offering sweeping views. The upper six stories taper sharply, slender and elegant, reaching into the clouds. The sixth story is hollow, with wooden flooring and a ladder leading to the top (now removed). The pagoda’s finial is adorned with a lotus-shaped treasure spire made of glazed tiles. Inside, there are six inscribed steles.

History

In the past, a temple fair was held here every year on the 16th day of the first lunar month. Scholars, poets, merchants, and visitors would gather, often ascending the pagoda to enjoy the view and compose poetry. Zhu Dangmian, a prince of the Ming Dynasty, wrote in his poem “Climbing Xinglong Pagoda”: “High as the stars, towering straight into the sky. Bell chimes heard for miles, crane tracks witnessed for millennia. Sarira from past dynasties transformed, midnight lamps still burning bright. I climb to this summit, reaching out to grasp the clouds.” Another saying goes, “Soaring into the white clouds, its shadow falling on the Lingguang Temple; emerald hues uniquely reflecting the waters of Zhu, wind sounds echoing the peaks of Mount Tai,” evoking the feeling that “the towering pagoda rivals the white clouds.” Legend has it that on the summer solstice, when the sun rises, the shadow of the Qikui Tower on Jiyang Mountain, thirty li west of the city, can faintly be seen, with the morning glow forming one of Yanzhou’s Eight Scenic Spots—“The Shadow of Xinglong Pagoda.” The graceful silhouette of the pagoda, golden mountain hues, shepherd boy’s flute, ancient temple pines, celestial beings dancing, and radiant spiritual light create a picturesque scene, making it a major attraction in Shandong. Restored through the Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, it was refurbished after liberation for public enjoyment. Ascending it allows one to muse over the past and present, blending joy and serenity, offering a delightful experience of the ancient city’s cultural charm and the vibrancy of a modern metropolis.

Origin of the Name

Currently situated in the municipal museum grounds, Xinglong Pagoda stands 54 meters tall with 13 stories, named after the Xinglong Temple upon which it was built. The temple has long since vanished without a trace, yet the pagoda remains resolute. “Loftily towering as if touching the stars, majestically piercing the sky” (Zhu Dangmian); “The towering pagoda rivals the white clouds, its shadow falling upon the ancient Lingguang Hall” (Zhong Hongdao)—both describe its towering grandeur. The phrase “shadow falling upon the Lingguang” refers to how the pagoda’s shadow could extend to Qufu, thirty li to the east, in the evening (Qufu houses the ancient Lu Lingguang Hall ruins), which is the origin of the name “Shadow of Xinglong Pagoda.”

Construction Time

Climbing the internal stairway leads to the seventh-floor platform, which has long been the highest point in Yanzhou. Leaning on the railing and gazing into the distance, one sees a vast expanse—some say even the Dacheng Hall in Qufu can be spotted, which may not have been an exaggeration in ancient times. The 1st year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty’s local gazetteer records this pagoda as being “built during the Sui Kaihuang era, with thirteen stories, hollow in the middle, allowing one to reach the top, constructed by Yu Chi Gong.” The Qing Dynasty poet Zhong Hongdao wrote, “Moss gradually erodes the Kaihuang inscription,” aligning with the gazetteer’s account. However, the Ziyang County Annals state that the pagoda was built in the 2nd year of the Renshou era (602). Mr. Zhang Yuhuan’s article (published in the Palace Museum Journal) also suggests it was built in the 2nd year of Renshou, as one of the fifty-three pagodas nationwide constructed in the second batch. Mr. Zhang likely did not see the aforementioned records but inferred this based on historical accounts of Emperor Wen of Sui issuing the “Edict on Establishing Sarira Pagodas” in the 1st year of Renshou, as conveyed by Prince Yu Zhang of Yuzhang. Additionally, the Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks records that Yanzhou monk Faxing was ordered in the early Renshou years to deliver Buddhist sarira to Pule Temple in Yanzhou, later renamed Xinglong Temple. Of course, most pagodas built at the time were wooden and highly susceptible to damage, leading to numerous reconstructions and renovations. But when tracing its origins, the earliest definitive documentation should be the basis. Records of Xinglong Pagoda’s renovations include the Tang Dynasty’s “Monk Jiuding Statue Inscription” from the Kaiyuan era, listed in the World Stele Inscriptions Record, bearing the names of craftsmen such as “Master Builder Zhao Shouzhong, Pagoda Builder Su Ze.” This stele, along with the Kaihuang-era inscription in the gazetteer, no longer exists. The earliest extant inscription on the pagoda is from the 8th year of the Jiayou era (1063) of the Northern Song, such as “Member of the community Zhang Yuan’s wife, Lady Guo, family of twenty.” In the 1930s, renowned architects Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin surveyed the pagoda and documented it in Chinese Architectural History: “The Xinglong Temple Pagoda in Ziyang County, Shandong, has a rather unique design. The octagonal pagoda has thirteen stories, is simple and unadorned, with each level featuring only short eaves. The body of the pagoda decreases in size with each level, but the top six stories shrink abruptly, as if a smaller pagoda were placed atop an unfinished one—perhaps construction funds ran out by the seventh level, leading to the reduction of the upper six? The pagoda was built in the 8th year of the Jiayou era.” Liang concluded it was built in Jiayou 8, clearly based on the inscription. Luo Zhewen’s Chinese Ancient Pagodas also records this pagoda, stating, “Judging by the existing structure, the pagoda is a Song Dynasty relic.”

Inscriptions on the Pagoda

While many attribute the pagoda to the Song Dynasty based on inscriptions, there are also multiple Qing Dynasty inscriptions on the pagoda, such as those from the 31st, 35th, 39th, and 59th years of the Kangxi era, mostly found on the fifth and sixth stories. According to the China Earthquake Catalog, a major earthquake centered on Tancheng and Linyi occurred on June 17, 1668 (July 25, 1668). The Kangxi-era Ziyang County Annals record, “The earthquake destroyed houses, killed many men and women, and ruined Xinglong Temple Pagoda.” It was over twenty years before repairs began, finally completing in the late Kangxi era—a process spanning nearly thirty years, with the final work completed by Yin Yifeng, the magistrate of Yanzhou mentioned earlier. The pagoda also bears many inscriptions carved by modern individuals using sharp tools, such as “Kun Yuren Miao Zhenguo from Beiping”; “Shi Xinqing from Pingyuan County, sheltering here during the Japanese chaos in the 16th year of the Republic (1937)”; “Nakai Kiyoshi from Nakagō, Saigō District, Tokushima Prefecture, May of the 13th year of Showa (1938)”; “Nagahide from Chūō Village, Ayauta District, Kagawa Prefecture, May 6, 13th year of Showa (1938).” The latter two are clearly Japanese. Though not formal inscriptions, these carvings reflect fleeting moments of history, serving as witnesses to the Japanese invasion of China, evoking a profound sense of historical weight. Xinglong Pagoda suffered slight damage during the Yanzhou Campaign and was restored in the 1980s with national funding. It is now a Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit of Shandong Province, with the municipal museum built beneath it.

Archaeological Value

In 2008, a group of thieves dug a tunnel into Xinglong Pagoda, looting its underground palace and attempting to smuggle artifacts abroad, but they were caught by customs. The underground palace of Xinglong Pagoda was thus revealed to the public, and—ironically—this led to the discovery of a trove of precious relics, including stone coffins, gilded silver sarcophagi, gold bottles, and more. According to experts from the Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Institute, this significant find is extremely rare in China and holds great value for the study of history, Buddhist history, painting art, and craftsmanship.

According to the Yanzhou City Cultural Relics Bureau, Xinglong Pagoda is located in Yanzhou City and was initially built in the Sui Dynasty, with renovations in the Song Dynasty. Recently, during maintenance and reinforcement of the underground palace, archaeologists unearthed a collection of valuable relics, including a stone coffin, inside which were found a gilded silver sarcophagus, a gold bottle, sarira, “Buddha’s tooth,” and glass bottles. Outside the stone coffin lies a stele inscribed with “Burial of Sarira,” detailing the construction date, purpose, and process of the pagoda and its underground palace, as well as the origin and enshrinement process of the true skull sarira. The stone coffin, gilded silver sarcophagus, and gold bottle containing sarira have been designated as National First-Class Cultural Relics, while the sarira stele and glass bottle are classified as National Third-Class Cultural Relics.

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units