The Glazed Pagoda of Lingguang Temple

The Glazed Pagoda of Lingguang Temple

The Glazed Pagoda of Lingguang Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Lingguang Temple is located in Beiliang Village, Dengzhuang Town, Xiangfen County. The *Xiangling County Annals* state: "Lingguang Temple is in Beiliang Village, southeast of the county. It was rebuilt during the Huangtong era of the Jin Dynasty. Yang Boxiong, the prefect of Pingyang Prefecture, wrote the inscription, and later, County Magistrate Xue Suoyun renovated it, leaving behind a stele. Inside the temple there is a precious pagoda, thirteen stories high, with a scripture depository at the back." Yang Boxiong was appointed Pingyang Prefect in 1182 during the 22nd year of the Dading reign of the Jin Dynasty and was known for his good governance. The *History of Jin* states: "Previously, Zhang Hao governed Pingyang with benevolent policies, and when Boxiong became prefect, the people praised them, saying: 'Before there was Zhang, now there is Yang.'" Due to warfare, the temple’s halls were destroyed in 1948. By 1958, the ground had been silted over, leaving only a brick pagoda, which was then listed as a county-level key cultural relics protection unit.

The pagoda is located 700 meters west of Beiliang Village, in a hilly area where the terrain slopes from east to west. It is an octagonal, timber-framed-style brick pagoda that originally had thirteen stories, though only seven remain. Each level features a small arched doorway on the front. It was first built during the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty and renovated during the Huangtong era of the Jin Dynasty. The upper six stories were destroyed in the 1695 Linfen earthquake during the Qing Dynasty's Kangxi reign. This is evidenced by a stele from the 4th year of the Qianlong reign (1739) beside the pagoda: "Unfortunately, in the summer of the Kangxi year Yihai, an earthquake struck. From the scripture depository to the corridors, everything collapsed. Only the two main halls of Buddha and Dharma remained standing, and half of the tall pagoda survived. What was once considered magnificent is now beyond description in its ruin." On August 18, 1967, Meng Fanxing of the Shanxi Cultural Relics Management Committee conducted a seismic archaeology survey, unearthed the earth, and copied the stele text. The first level of the pagoda is buried underground, serving as evidence of ground flooding and sedimentation. The Yuan Dynasty scripture (from 1279, the 16th year of the Zhiyuan era), stored behind the glazed plaque of the first level, was stolen in mid-April 1985 but later recovered. The theft hole remains visible. Buried underground at Lingguang Temple are the following steles: the *Lingguang Temple Stele* from the □ year of the Huangtong era of the Jin Dynasty; the *Record of the Renovation of Lingguang Stele* from the 11th year of the Zhengtong era of the Ming Dynasty; the *Imperial Edict Record of Appointing Monks to Lingguang Temple* from the 5th year of the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty; the *County Magistrate Xue’s Departure Memorial Stele* from the 9th year of the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty; and the *Record of the Renovation of the North and South Buddha Halls* from the 4th year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty.

In May 2013, the Glazed Pagoda of Lingguang Temple was announced as part of the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units