Shadowless Pagoda

Shadowless Pagoda

The Shadowless Pagoda is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Shadowless Pagoda is situated in Hongshan Park at the western foot of Hongshan Mountain in Wuchang District. It was originally known as the Song Xingfu Temple Pagoda. The temple was first called Jin’an Temple and was built during the Chengsheng era (552–554) of Emperor Yuan of the Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties. In the first year of the Renshou era (601) of the Sui Dynasty, it was renamed Xingfu Temple. By the sixth year of the Xianchun era (1270) of the Southern Song Dynasty, Xingfu Temple was rebuilt and this pagoda was constructed. The temple was destroyed in modern times, and the pagoda was relocated to Hongshan Park in 1953.

The Shadowless Pagoda is a pavilion-style stone pagoda with a solid body. It has an octagonal floor plan and is 11.25 meters high. The lower part of the pagoda consists of a carved stone Sumeru pedestal with a diameter of 4.25 meters, atop which sits the seven-tiered pagoda body. The outer walls of the first, third, fifth, and seventh tiers feature niches, with four-jian bracket sets beneath the eaves, while the other tiers do not have bracket sets under their eaves. Each niche contains carvings such as bodhisattvas, heavenly kings, guardian deities, and worshippers. On the left side of the small niche on the southern face of the first tier is inscribed “Renovated by Shengxiang Xingfu Temple at Mount Dahong,” and on the right: “In the fourth month of the Gengwu year, the sixth year of Xianchun (1270), on a Buddhist day, inscribed by the temple supervisor monk Zongjie.”

With its ancient design and verifiable age, the Shadowless Pagoda serves as an important reference for dating ancient architecture in the Wuhan area. It also holds significant value for the study of Buddhist history.

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Hubei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units