Yunfeng Pagoda in Qu County

Yunfeng Pagoda in Qu County

Yunfeng Pagoda is a cultural relic protection unit of Sichuan Province.

Yunfeng Pagoda in Qu County is an ancient, solemn, and magnificent stone pagoda situated on a small mountain surrounded by sheer cliffs in Shinya Village, Linba Town, Qu County, Dazhou City, Sichuan Province. At the foot of the pagoda, the rocky edge is covered with oddly shaped fallen boulders—some standing alone, some leaning against each other, some stacked together, presenting a variety of forms. Climbing up the winding mountain path, one encounters a stone pagoda standing before them—this is Yunfeng Pagoda. Located on Yunfeng Ridge on the east bank of the Liaoshui River, it faces the ancient town of Gaosha across the river. Beside the pagoda, the pool is deep and the water is clear. When the river flows here, it surges against the rocks. “Countless silver waves chill as they strike the pagoda, resembling golden swords spitting out beads of light.” This is one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Gaosha.

Yunfeng Pagoda was built in the Gengzi year of the Daoguang reign (1840 AD) and is an 11-tiered, six-sided stone pagoda. The pagoda is located on a mountaintop platform, offering a distant view that spans for miles, integrating scenery and human presence. It stands 13.23 meters tall, with a square base that is regular hexagonal in shape, measuring 2.3 meters per side and 0.34 meters in height. The first tier is 1.6 meters high with sides 1.85 meters long; the second tier is 1.26 meters high; the third tier is 1.19 meters high. The height and width of the tiers above gradually decrease. It is a pavilion-style brick-and-stone structure. The base is built from bluestone, while the body of the pagoda has eight sides and five levels. The top features two stone drums of varying sizes and a stone pagoda finial. The eaves are 0.26 meters thick, neatly arranged up and down, curling upwards like dragon tails with flying corners reaching into the sky.

The front of the first tier has a rectangular stone door, inscribed with a couplet in regular script: “The splendor of literature shines with five colors; the brilliance of the brush reflects three celestial realms,” with the horizontal inscription “Yunfeng Library.” The other sides are respectively engraved in relief with the cursive script phrases “dragons fly and phoenixes dance” and the characters “fortune” (福) and “prosperity” (禄); the strokes of “dragon” (龙) and “fly” (飞) also interweave patterns of dragon heads and phoenix tails, with bold, smooth, and elegant fonts. Moreover, the strokes interlace to give the characters a more three-dimensional feel.

The stone carvings on each level of the pagoda are abundant and exquisitely crafted, including openwork carvings of cloud patterns; reliefs such as the “Two Deer” scene, the “Playing Go” scene, the “Paying Respects” scene, the “Mounted Official” scene, the “Setting Out” scene, and the “Crossing the River” scene, all vividly depicted. In addition to pattern carvings, the pagoda body also features many inscriptions of poetry, with powerful brushwork, truly reflecting a flourishing literary culture.

Travel Information

To visit Yunfeng Pagoda, you can first travel to Linba Town in Qu County, then take a bus from Linba Town to the Huadong Township Central School. From the dam beside the reservoir next to Huadong Central School, you can see Yunfeng Pagoda, and it’s a 30-minute walk to reach it. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Qu County to Lifu Township, then take a ferry along the river to enter Huadong Township, and drive to Huadong Township Central School.

Protected Area: The land area extends 12 meters eastward, 25 meters westward, 20 meters southward, and 30 meters northward.

Construction Control Zone: The protected area extends 10 meters eastward and northward, with the west and south boundaries following the protected area itself.

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Sichuan Province