Changshou Wenfeng Pagoda

Changshou Wenfeng Pagoda

Changshou Wenfeng Pagoda is a cultural relic protection unit of Chongqing Municipality.

Wenfeng Pagoda, also known as the White Pagoda, is located on Huangcao Mountain on the north bank of the Yangtze River, 6 kilometers southeast of Changshou. Built in the fifth year of the Tongzhi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1866), the pagoda is an octagonal seven-story brick-and-stone structure, standing 38 meters tall. The base is octagonal, with each side carved with stone lions—each with a lotus head and standing on a ball. The pagoda gate features a stone couplet inscribed by then-county magistrate Wang Xi: “The stupa stands firm in midstream with Phoenix Mountain as guardian; may scholars aspire to inscribe their names on the Wild Goose Pagoda.” Inside the pagoda core, there is a spiral brick-and-stone staircase of 108 steps leading to the top of the seven-story pagoda. Each level originally had niches housing round-carved stone Buddhist statues (all destroyed during the Cultural Revolution). In terms of historical and cultural legacy, legends such as “Zhang Fei Subduing the Flood,” “The Jade Belt Binding the Demon,” and “The White Pagoda Subduing the Flood” are associated with the site. Today, the pagoda remains largely intact.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units in Chongqing Municipality