Xiangshan Pagoda

Xiangshan Pagoda

Xiangshan Pagoda is a cultural relic protection unit of Hunan Province.

Xiangshan Pagoda

Dating back to the Ming Dynasty, it is located in Chengguan Town, Yanling County, Hunan Province, and is one of the Ming Dynasty brick pagodas in eastern Hunan.

Xiangshan Pagoda was first built in the 45th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1616), and underwent several renovations between the 24th year of the Kangxi reign (1685) and the 1st year of the Xianfeng reign (1851). Originally, Xiangshan Temple stood at the foot of the pagoda, but it no longer exists.

The pagoda is a hollow, multi-storied brick structure of pavilion style, with six sides and seven tiers, topped with a cast iron gourd finial. It stands approximately 13 meters tall, with a base side length of two meters, resting on a circular foundation. The first, second, and third tiers of the pagoda body each feature a semicircular arched doorway, beside which are carvings such as the “Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea.” The lintel of the first-floor doorway bears four engraved regular script characters reading “Xiangshan Bao Ta” (Xiangshan Treasure Pagoda). The pagoda is elegant and graceful in form. When Yin Rongzu, an official from the Qing Dynasty’s Ministry of Works, visited the site, he composed the poem: “Faded clouds fly above the temple eaves; the setting sun hangs from treetops. The pagoda’s form links skyward in blue; mountain hues chill into the waters.”

On May 19, 2002, the People's Government of Hunan Province designated it as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit, with the designation number 51-10.

Source: Overview of Cultural Relics in Hunan