Sansheng Ruijian Pagoda

Sansheng Ruijian Pagoda

Sansheng Ruijian Pagoda is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Sansheng Ruijian Pagoda

Sansheng Ruijian Pagoda (Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units)

Era: Jin Dynasty

Location: Within Zhaoqing Temple, west of Jishan Village, Xihedi Town, Lingchuan County

Commonly known as Jishan Pagoda, it is located 35 kilometers southwest of the county town. According to an inscription embedded on the third floor of the pagoda: “In the sixth year of the Dading era, Monk Skull from Shundu came here to preach. He once dug out a stone turtle from the west side of Zhaoqing Temple, inside which was a pearl of flesh and hair, and on its back were inscriptions reading ‘Ancient Chan Temple Sansheng Ruijian Pagoda’ and again ‘Sui Dynasty, Renshou First Year, Monk Fengyan deposited characters’. The monk then buried the old relics together with the stone turtle underneath, and built the pagoda above them. The construction was completed in the ninth year of the Dading era.” From this, we know that the pagoda was originally built to enshrine relics, first established in the Sui Dynasty and rebuilt in the Jin Dynasty.

The pagoda has a square floor plan, with a total of thirteen stories and a height of about 30 meters. It is a dense-eave brick pagoda. Each side is 6 meters long. The first story of the pagoda body is built with plain brick walls, and each level features corbelled eaves. The size gradually decreases with each level, with a more pronounced taper starting from the fifth level. Looking up into the pagoda from the third level, it resembles an upside-down well, with a hollow space extending all the way to the top. The front of the pagoda has ventilation windows on each level, and one can climb up inside the pagoda, level by level.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units