Leiyang Lingyun Pagoda

Leiyang Lingyun Pagoda

Leiyang Lingyun Pagoda is a cultural relic protection unit of Hunan Province.

Also known as Qinglu Pagoda and commonly called Qinglong Pagoda, Lingyun Pagoda was built in the 58th year of the Kangxi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1719) by Zhang Yingxing, the then magistrate of Leiyang County.

This pavilion-style brick-and-stone pagoda faces south and features seven tiers with eight sides, is hollow inside, and stands 29 meters tall on a 0.6-meter-high stone base platform that measures 5.76 meters per side. Each tier has eaves with upturned corners, and the top of the pagoda is adorned with an iron gourd-shaped finial, tapering from the bottom up. The first tier is constructed from red sandstone, with a base side length of 4.3 meters and eave height of 4.1 meters, while the remaining tiers are built with blue bricks. The first tier has arched gateways on all four sides, with the south gate inscribed with “Initial Step of the Cloud Ladder,” while the other tiers each have three gates. The lower part of the pagoda’s body is also adorned with carvings such as ao fish, strongmen, dragons, lions, cloud motifs, and scroll leaf patterns. Inside the pagoda, there are partitioned staircases along the walls leading to each level, and the outer wall has six arched windows. The first and second floor inner chamber floors are square, while the rest are octagonal; their ceilings are respectively vaulted, flat, and domed.

Built in the 58th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1719), Lingyun Pagoda has stood for nearly 300 years and is one of the few ancient pagodas in our province with an early construction date. Slim and graceful, Lingyun Pagoda differs in style from most of the grand and robust ancient pagodas common in southern Hunan. An anonymous couplet describes it as “The pagoda tip is like a brush, inverting the script of the world’s literature.” Its inner chambers also feature diverse designs — their plans are square or octagonal; their ceilings include flat, vaulted, and domed styles; and the chamber floors are either wooden planks or blue bricks. From its construction until its restoration in 2002, historical records show no major repairs, allowing it to remain largely in its original condition. The reliefs on the pagoda, such as lions and strongmen, exhibit stylistic features typical of the early Qing Dynasty. The inscriptions above the south gates on each level are believed to have been written by Zhang Yingxing, the Leiyang magistrate who oversaw the pagoda’s construction.

Lingyun Pagoda is one of the few ancient pagodas in our province that has retained much of its original form. It holds a wealth of historical and cultural information and serves as an important physical resource for the study of ancient Chinese pagoda architecture, boasting high historical, artistic, and scientific value.

In 2019, Leiyang Lingyun Pagoda was included in the tenth batch of provincial-level cultural relic protection units in Hunan Province.

Address: Qinglu Neighborhood Committee, Economic Development Zone, Leiyang City

Further Reading:

· Tenth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units in Hunan Province