Penglai Temple Pagoda

Penglai Temple Pagoda

Penglai Temple Pagoda is a cultural relic protected at the provincial level in Guangdong Province.

The temple pagoda is located on a flat area northeast of Hengjiang Town. It is named after the Penglai Temple (now in ruins) that once stood beside it. Since some bricks of the pagoda bear the raised characters "Sheli Fo" (Sariputra), it is also known as the "Relic Pagoda." Both the *Chronicles of Shaoguan Prefecture* and the *Annals of Yingde County* record that this pagoda was built during the Xiantong era of the Tang Dynasty and underwent renovation during the Song Dynasty. The structure is a five-story, hexagonal, pavilion-style brick chamber pagoda. It stands 15.4 meters tall, and its inner chamber features a wall-piercing, circumambulatory corridor structure. The first story has an auxiliary eave, while the upper stories feature interlocking corbelled eaves made of dentil bricks and string-course bricks. The pagoda body includes false balconies that gradually taper upward with each level. Its architectural style reflects that of Song Dynasty pagodas. A poem by Zou Yan of the Song Dynasty reads: “Half enshrines relics, half cloaked in moss; / Though scorched by conflagration, not turned to dust. / Each spring the fragrant grass turns green anew; / The Six Dynasties’ tales lie cold in the dew.” This shows that the name “Relic Pagoda” was already in use during the Song Dynasty. The pagoda was reinforced and restored in 1990, with the spire, auxiliary eave, and railings on each level being reconstructed.

In December 1979, the Guangdong Provincial Revolutionary Committee designated it as a cultural relic protection unit.

Hengjiang Town: [Geographical Location] Hengjiang Town is located in the western part of Yingde City, 35 kilometers from the city center. It connects to National Highway 107 (Qinglian First-Class Highway) via S347, and waterways along the Xiaobei River provide direct access to Guangzhou, the Pearl River Delta region, and Hong Kong and Macau. With convenient land and water transportation and superior geographical conditions, the town covers an area of 240.3 square kilometers and has a total population of 68,700, including 68,200 permanent residents and 5,000 migrants. It administers 15 village committees, 3 neighborhood committees, and 453 villager groups. [History] Yingde City’s Hengjiang Town is a place with a long and storied history... More details about Hengjiang Town++

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units