Ban changyu Pagoda

Ban Changyu Pagoda

Ban Changyu Pagoda is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Hebei Province.

Ban Changyu Pagoda, located in Funing County, Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, China, is a provincial-level cultural heritage site of Funing County, Qinhuangdao. It is classified as an ancient architectural structure and was designated on July 23, 1982.

The pagoda is situated in a valley running from east to west, south of Ban Changyu Village, Funing County. It is a hexagonal, seven-tiered, solid brick pagoda from the Ming Dynasty, standing 15 meters tall. The base is a hexagonal platform, each side measuring 4 meters and standing 1.5 meters high, constructed of stone. The Sumeru pedestal is 2.5 meters on each side and 1.04 meters high, adorned with carved brick patterns. The first tier of the pagoda body measures 2.32 meters on each side and is 4 meters high, with niches on each face decorated with flying apsaras. Below the first tier eaves are four sets of carved brick brackets per side, designed in a “one-dou-three-rise intersecting hemp-leaf” pattern. Higher tiers feature corbelled eaves and tiled roofs. The pagoda top is adorned with an iron finial and spire. The pagoda body is painted in light orange, making it prominently visible against the lush green trees. Named after its location, the structure has been authenticated as dating from the Ming Dynasty. About 30 meters northeast of the pagoda lies a cave with an external brick arched entrance. Above the entrance is a blue stone plaque inscribed with the characters “天然洞” (Natural Cave), dated to the 43rd year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1614 AD). The cave entrance has two stone doors, and the interior resembles the roots of an upturned tree, extending deep and mysterious into the earth. Legend says there are ten stone gates inside, stretching 10 li in length. Above the Natural Cave once stood a temple, and two Qing Dynasty stone steles remain, both recording temple renovation events. Thirty meters west of the pagoda stands an ancient pine tree over 30 meters tall and about 1 meter in diameter, with a straight trunk and a neatly rounded crown like an umbrella. According to the old LinYu County Annals, during the Ming Dynasty’s Wanli era, a Taoist priest named Zhai Shangru practiced here, treating and helping the local people extensively and winning their deep affection. After his death, a pagoda was erected in his memory.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Heritage Sites in Hebei Province