Meizhou Thousand Buddha Iron Pagoda

Meizhou Thousand Buddha Iron Pagoda

The Meizhou Thousand Buddha Iron Pagoda is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province.

The Five Dynasties-era Meizhou Thousand Buddha Iron Pagoda is located within the Thousand Buddha Pagoda Temple in Dongshan District, Meizhou City. Cast in the eighth year of the Dabao era (965 AD) during the Southern Han Dynasty, the pagoda has a square base and was originally a seven-tiered, pavilion-style iron pagoda standing 4.2 meters tall. It was initially placed at Xiuhui Temple but, after the temple was destroyed, it was relocated to Dongshan Ridge in the early years of the Republic of China, and moved to its current location in 1994. Only the remains of the second tier survive... After multiple restorations, the base and first tier share an irregular octagonal plan, while tiers two through seven have square bases — creating a notably distinct style. Each side of every tier is adorned with bamboo-joint corner pillars topped with bracket arms (dougong). The eaves protrude smoothly without any tile ornamentation, featuring subtle curves and pronounced upward turns at the corners. The eaves of the first tier are decorated with upside-down lotus petals, unlike the others. Each corner of the eaves is adorned with a toad as decoration. Each side of every tier features cast Buddha statues seated cross-legged with knees bent, their faces full and rounded, wearing simple attire — preserving the sculptural style of the Tang Dynasty. The pagoda body includes 1,000 cast Buddha images and one inscribed iron plate with 11 rows of 11 characters each. This pagoda is one of the oldest surviving iron pagodas in China.

In June 1989, the People's Government of Guangdong Province designated it as a cultural relic protection unit.

Further reading:

· Third Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units