Liangping Wenfeng Pagoda

Liangping Wenfeng Pagoda

Liangping Wenfeng Pagoda is a municipal cultural relic protection unit of Chongqing.

China’s tallest brush-shaped stone pagoda, this municipal cultural relic protection unit is located on the plains of the western part of Liangping County, Chongqing, about 3 kilometers from the county town. This octagonal, twelve-story hollow all-stone pagoda soars skyward, majestic and spectacular, and is considered a gem of Qing Dynasty architecture. Standing 35.68 meters tall, it was built in the seventh year of the Daoguang reign during the Qing Dynasty. This octagonal twelve-story hollow all-stone pagoda. The pagoda is exquisitely designed and made from high-quality materials. The selected bluish sandstone is hard in texture, with each stone slab measuring 31×40 cm square and 170 cm in length (which is also the thickness of the pagoda body). The stones of each story’s wall are laid in a crisscross pattern. Its foundation is solid, calculations precise, and construction meticulous. The towering twelve-story stone pagoda reaches into the clouds, majestic and grand. The pagoda body features 12 window openings that alternate between stories, allowing light and air to pass through. Each story has eight upturned eaves corners, giving the pagoda a sense of soaring motion. At the top, iron horse wind chimes hang from the eight upturned corners, producing a delightful, melodious sound when touched by the breeze. The front sides of the upturned corners, viewed from bottom to top, are carved with various patterns—lines are smooth and refined, and the carvings are delicate and exquisite, further highlighting the pagoda’s beauty and magnificence. The two Chinese characters “Wenfeng Pagoda” (文峰塔) inscribed on the tenth level are in bold, powerful cursive script. The words “Lingxiu” (灵秀, meaning “exquisite and outstanding”) and “Wenming” (文明, meaning “civilization”) inscribed on either side of the doorway also enhance the cultural aura of the pagoda. Originally, there was a wooden building and spiral staircase inside the pagoda from the first to fifth levels, but these have long been destroyed.

There is also a long-standing folk legend about the “Wenfeng Pagoda.” At the mountaintop where Liangping County’s western hills meet Dazhu County, at an altitude of over 1,100 meters, rises a steep, oddly shaped peak that resembles a fox’s head. Locals call it “Fox Mouth.” Its head faces east (toward Liangping) and its tail west (toward Dazhu), with its mouth directly pointing at Liangping’s fertile grain-producing plains. It is said that the fox opens its mouth to eat Liangping’s prosperity and excretes it toward Dazhu—that is, it takes from Liangping and enriches Dazhu, which is clearly detrimental to Liangping. Therefore, the people of Liangping first built “Chuiyun Temple” at the north gate, hoping to block the fox’s mouth. But because the fields were quite far away, they failed to stop the fox. So, they simply selected a site within the fertile farmlands just outside the north gate to build this “Wenfeng Pagoda,” aiming to block the gluttonous fox’s mouth that was taking from Liangping. Since then, the vast fertile fields of Liangping’s plains have yielded abundant crops, with plentiful rice and grain harvests, bringing prosperity and wealth to the region.

Across China, there are many magnificent ancient pagodas. But almost all were built due to the introduction of Buddhism. Pagodas are a product of Buddhist culture. However, Liangping Wenfeng Pagoda is an exception—the reason for its construction is also unique within China’s pagoda culture.

According to the Volume Five of the Liangping County Annals from the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, Xu Mingxiang, the magistrate of Liangshan County, wrote in the article “Record of Rebuilding the Examination Hall and Building the Pagoda”: “Liangshan County is a hub of eastern Sichuan and the hometown of the great Confucian scholar Ji De, known for his studies in the I Ching. The scholarly atmosphere and local customs here are quite distinctive… There are about 1,500 to 1,600 candidates each year, but the original examination hall was too small to accommodate them. Due to years of neglect, during exams, candidates would even get their clothes wet from wind and rain. Therefore, local gentry and wealthy merchants were invited to discuss the matter and encouraged to contribute to a good cause. Together, they donated over 9,000 taels of silver. During the construction, expenses were carefully managed and savings were made. After the examination hall was completed, 4,700 taels of silver remained. Then, discussions turned to the revitalization of Liangping. To match Liangping’s feng shui, it was proposed to build a stupa (i.e., a pagoda) outside the north gate to serve as a ‘literary brush’ for the county town. The required funds coincidentally matched the remaining silver. Building this pagoda was not only to encourage future scholars to ‘achieve academic success, serve the nation through literature, and surely produce renowned Confucian scholars who will uphold the legacy of Master Qu Tang, bringing glory to their hometown.’

From this, it can be seen that the construction of Wenfeng Pagoda did not arise from Buddhist reasons, nor is it as described in the folk tale. Instead, it represents the higher and more beautiful hopes and aspirations that the wise predecessors of Liangping had for the people and future generations. They hoped their descendants would stand out as “exquisite and outstanding,” and that they would excel as “civilized and refined.” They wished for their hometown to achieve high levels of culture and civilization, and for generations of talented scholars to emerge. They envisioned forming a peak of culture. Truly becoming those who would “uphold the legacy of Master Qu Tang, bringing glory to their hometown!” “Wenfeng” also embodies the peak of “civilization and culture,” just as the pagoda towers into the clouds, looking down upon the land and standing proud in all directions.

Today, we don’t need to delve deeply into the motives or reasons for building the pagoda. Towering twelve stories, enduring 200 years. Majestic, spectacular, uniquely beautiful Wenfeng Pagoda has not only withstood the trials of time, erosion by wind and rain, threats of earthquakes, but also paid no mind to the relentless bombings by Japanese invaders, remaining proudly upright and unmoved. Over 200 years, it has adorned Liangping’s landscapes, adding a touch of beauty to the region’s picturesque scenery. It has enriched the cultural and civilizational essence of Liangping County. It stands as a testament to the beautiful aspirations of Liangping’s wise predecessors. It is the crystallization of the labor and artistry of Liangping’s early inhabitants. It is a vessel of long-standing historical culture, an invaluable physical treasure and cultural gem for studying architectural art, stone carving art, ancient culture, and antiquities. At the same time, it is also evidence of Liangping people’s love for life, reverence for culture, and aspiration for civilization since ancient times. Wenfeng Pagoda, like Shuanggui Temple, is the pride of the people of Liangping, and it will exist alongside the land of Liangping forever.

Address: West of Liangping County Town

Phone: 023-53222188