Dragon Guardian Relic Pagoda

Dragon Guardian Relic Pagoda

Dragon Guardian Relic Pagoda is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Dragon Guardian Relic Pagoda

Dragon Guardian Relic Pagoda, also known as Xiaoquan Relic Pagoda, is located within the Sanxiao Garden in Xiaoquan Town. Originally built during the Han Dynasty, only the pagoda base remained at the beginning of the Sui Dynasty's Daye era. In the second year of the Zhiyuan reign of Emperor Shundi of the Yuan Dynasty (1342 AD), Zhao WenDe from Anxi Prefecture vowed to renovate the pagoda and completed seven levels before stopping. His younger brother, Zhao WenLi, continued and added six more levels, finishing the project in the thirteenth year of Zhiyuan (1353 AD). In the thirteenth year of the Zhengde reign of the Ming Dynasty (1481 AD), Monk Baoyin replaced the top with a glazed finial, hence it is also called the “Dragon Guardian Relic Glazed Pagoda.” The pagoda was built on a two-tiered platform and takes the form of a square brick pagoda with closely set eaves, totaling thirteen exterior levels, standing 37 meters tall. Its four corners feature hanging bronze bells. Inside, there’s a spiral staircase that takes visitors up to the eleventh level. Major renovations were carried out during the Qing reigns of Qianlong and Jiaqing, as well as in the Republican period. A scripture depository hall built in the Qing Dynasty still stands in front of the pagoda.

Xiaoquan Relic Pagoda is the only existing Yuan Dynasty brick pagoda in Sichuan Province and serves as an important material evidence for studying the evolution of brick pagodas in the region.

Protected area: To the east, extending 9 meters beyond the eastern edge of the pagoda base (east wall of Sanxiao Garden); to the south, extending to the old De-Mian Highway; to the west, extending 10 meters beyond the western edge of the pagoda base (west wall); to the north, extending 10 meters beyond the northern edge of the pagoda base (north wall).

Construction control zone: Extending 15 meters east from the protected area, 10 meters south, 50 meters west, and 50 meters north.

Further reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units