Shangdang Xiyansi Pagoda (Zhangbasisi Pagoda)

Shangdang Xiyansi Pagoda (Zhangbasisi Pagoda)

Shangdang Xiyansi Pagoda (Zhangbasisi Pagoda) is a cultural relic protection unit of Shanxi Province.

Zhangbasisi Pagoda

Zhangbasisi Pagoda (Second Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Monuments)

Era: Tang Dynasty

Location: Sangzi Village, Yincheng Town, Zhangzi County

The main hall of the temple houses a standing stone Buddha statue, which is one zhang and eight chi tall, hence the temple is called Zhangbasisi, and the pagoda is also named Zhangbasisi Pagoda. The existing structures include the mountain gate, main hall, wing rooms, and east and west side halls, all built during the Qing Dynasty. However, the Zhangbasisi Pagoda located in the southwest corner of the temple is an original structure from the Tang Dynasty.

The pagoda has a square floor plan, nine stories, and is about 16 meters tall. There is no base platform; only a 0.30-meter-high pedestal is built, atop which stands the first story of the pagoda body, constructed with four layers of stone blocks. A arched doorway faces south. From the second story upward, each level of the pagoda body is three bricks high, with each story’s eaves receding in a corbelled fashion, making the floor plan gradually smaller as it goes up. Inside the pagoda is a square hollow shaft running straight through from top to bottom. On the west side of the first story of the pagoda body is inlaid a stone stele from April 1705 (the 44th year of the Kangxi reign in the Qing Dynasty) titled “Record of the Renovation of Zhangbasisi Pagoda.” Based on the content of the inscription and the architectural style of the pagoda, apart from the base which was repaired in the Qing Dynasty, the rest of the pagoda is original from the Tang Dynasty.

The external appearance and internal structure of Zhangbasisi Pagoda resemble those of the Small Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an, confirming it as a genuine relic from the Tang Dynasty. It holds significant artistic value for the study of temple pagodas in the Shangdang region.

On October 7, 2019, Shangdang Xiyansi Pagoda (Zhangbasisi Pagoda) was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Yincheng Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Zhangzi County. Established as Mengcheng Town People's Commune in 1962, it became a town in 1984. Located in the southern part of the county, it is 15 kilometers from the county seat. Covering an area of 42 square kilometers with a population of 30,000, it is at the intersection of the Changling and Nanyin highways. The town administers 23 village committees: Yincheng, Hexia, Henghe, Xingma, Huocun, Dayu, Mupo, Guoliang, Beiyu, Changchun, Jishan, Xishan, Neiwang, Beitou, Juzhai, Anzhai Shang, Shujiatou, Jinjiazhuang, Jinggedao, Beizhanggou, Shitan Yu, Sangzi I, and Sangzi II. The main agricultural products are wheat, corn, and millet. The Zhangbasisi Pagoda in Sangzi is a provincial-level key cultural relic protection site... More detailed information on Yincheng Town ++

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units