Gaofeng Temple Pagoda and Stone Carvings
Gaofeng Temple Pagoda and Stone Carvings is a cultural relic protection unit of Sichuan Province.
Gaofeng Temple is located at the confluence of the Xiaqinglong River and the Tuojiang River, about four kilometers east of the city center on Lion Mountain. It was first built during the Song Dynasty, originally called Iron Dragon Temple, and renamed Gaofeng Temple in the 12th year of the Jiaqing reign. The Gaofeng Temple Pagoda within the temple compound faces west and rises 30.3 meters high, consisting of nine levels with an octagonal stone structure and a spire top, exuding a majestic presence believed to suppress the “lion,” lock the “river dragon,” and boost “literary fortune.” Inside the pagoda, there are fifty-six steps leading up to the fifth level. Each level has windows, with stone plaques above them inscribed with texts such as “Hundred Rays Heavenly Queen,” “Primordial Heavenly Worthy,” “Primordial Unity,” and “Natural Western Paradise.” The entrance is finely engraved with the design of two dragons playing with a pearl and regular-script calligraphy of the God of Literature. Outside, it is carved with the phrase “Cloud-Immersed Town, Mountain Rain, Dominates the Superior Land,” while inside is an imperial inscription by Xu Feng, who was appointed as the county magistrate with the scholarly rank of Wenlinlang, dated to the summer month of the 11th year of the Jiaqing reign. The Huizhen Cave houses stone statues of twelve scholars from the Tang Dynasty who passed the imperial examinations, while the Danhua Cave contains a stone bed, an alchemy stove, and stone carvings of immortals—traces of ancient craftsmanship remain.
Protected area: 50 meters beyond the base of the pagoda, including the current area occupied by Gaofeng Temple (including land already acquired).
Construction control zone: 100 meters beyond the protected area.
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