Faxing Temple Pagoda

Faxing Temple Pagoda

Faxing Temple Pagoda is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Faxing Temple Pagoda is located on Danyang West Road in the city center.

Legend has it that in ancient times, there was a flood-dragon causing disasters in the Ruzhou area. The heavens sent Sanhuanggu (the Third Imperial Aunt) to descend to earth and subdue the dragon. After capturing the beast, to prevent it from harming the people again, they dug a deep well to imprison it. A pagoda was then built over the well to ensure the dragon could never escape. Faxing Temple Pagoda is the legendary “Demon-Suppressing Pagoda.”

The most noteworthy feature of Faxing Temple is the stark contrast in architectural style between the lower and upper parts of the pagoda. The base of the pagoda is square-shaped, while the upper part is octagonal. The pagoda stands 30 meters tall and has nine stories. Some say it was built during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty in the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, while experts suggest it may have been constructed in the Tang Dynasty, with renovation traces from the Song and Jin periods.

Faxing Temple Pagoda is a rectangular, densely-eaved brick pagoda about 30 meters high, with an overall shape resembling a parabola. The base of the pagoda is 0.7 meters high and square in shape, supporting nine tiers of octagonal eaves, each featuring a small semi-circular Buddha niche. At the top, above the finial base, sits a spherical bronze ornament. The southern wall of the pagoda has a round arched doorway leading to a square inner chamber that houses the pagoda’s core and provides access to the second level. The ceiling of the chamber is constructed with corbelled bricks, giving it a distinctive appearance. The nine-tiered corbelled eaves exhibit characteristics typical of the Song and Jin periods, suggesting they may have been added during those dynasties. However, although the facing bricks of the pagoda have been replaced multiple times, the overall form still retains Tang Dynasty stylistic elements. The pagoda enshrines Sanhuanggu. Legend says that in ancient times, a flood-dragon caused havoc in Ruzhou. The heavens sent Sanhuanggu to subdue the beast, chaining it with iron and imprisoning it in a deep well. A massive stone was placed over the well’s opening, with the chains secured to the stone, and a pagoda was built on top to suppress it, ensuring it could never escape. This pagoda is Faxing Temple Pagoda. The temple itself is commonly known as “Pagoda Temple” because of this structure, and the street in front of the temple is also named Pagoda Temple Street. In 2006, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage approved Faxing Temple Pagoda as a part of the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units