Hui Guang Pagoda

Hui Guang Pagoda

Hui Guang Pagoda is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Hui Guang Pagoda in Lianzhou, situated in Hui Guang Park at the southern end of Hui Guang Road in Lianzhou City, was constructed in the fourth year of the Tai Shi era of the Liu Song Dynasty during the Northern and Southern Dynasties (468 AD). With a history of over 1,500 years, it is one of the oldest brick pagodas in China, a key provincial cultural relic under protection, and possesses considerable historical, scientific, and artistic value. It has been reported by relevant departments in Lianzhou City that among the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units announced by the State Council, Hui Guang Pagoda in Lianzhou City became the first national-level cultural relic protection site in Qingyuan City. Due to centuries of weathering and geological changes, the pagoda has tilted, with its current tilt measuring 1.07 meters. As a result, since 1985, Hui Guang Pagoda has been dubbed the “Leaning Tower of the East” by various media outlets.

Beside the pagoda stands an ancient iron-cast pagoda top, which could not be lifted to the top during the pagoda’s construction due to its heavy weight, so it was left beside the pagoda. Hence the old saying: “The ancient pagoda in Huizhou has no shadow; the ancient pagoda in Lianzhou has no top.” The entire pagoda is a wooden structure that was renovated during the Tang and Song dynasties into a pavilion-style brick-and-wood pagoda. Its exterior is earth-red in color, with a hexagonal floor plan, and an internal dougong (bracket arm) structure. The pagoda is hollow inside, with a staircase leading up, and each level is surrounded by a corridor. The pagoda has nine stories and seventeen tiers, standing 49.86 meters tall. Each tier is built with protruding corner pillars made of bricks that gradually decrease in size as they go up, creating a straight tapering effect and a beautiful form. Standing beside the pagoda, one can clearly notice that its central axis is not perfectly vertical but tilted more than one meter to the west. It turns out that the foundation of the pagoda was built on the peak of a small rocky hill, and after enduring a thousand years of wind, rain, and crustal movements, the foundation shifted slightly, becoming higher on the east and lower on the west, causing the pagoda to lean westward. In 1985, the National Cultural Heritage Administration allocated special funds to renovate Hui Guang Pagoda, reinforcing its foundation and halting further tilting. The Leaning Hui Guang Pagoda is one of the iconic landmarks of the ancient city of Lianzhou.

Today, despite having endured over 1,500 years of wind and rain, the smooth surface of the massive metal pagoda top shows not a trace of rust. Elderly locals recall that during the mass steel-smelting campaign of the past, some curious opportunists set their sights on this “round lump of iron.” They tried everything — chopping with axes, sawing with steel saws, even setting up coal stoves and burning it fiercely with wood fire — but none of their efforts could damage the metal top in the slightest, which is truly astonishing. To this day, no one knows exactly what kind of metal the pagoda top is made of.

The mysterious legends surrounding the ancient pagoda and its top once captured the interest of multiple Hong Kong television stations and newspapers. They sent filming crews to specifically capture the enchanting presence of Hui Guang Pagoda, spreading the history and culture of this millennia-old “Leaning Tower of the East” around the world.

Cultural Origins

In early Chinese architecture, materials were simple, mostly using timber and bricks, with brick structures rarely exceeding 80 meters in height. This tradition lasted for thousands of years, consistently relying on the so-called “Qin bricks and Han tiles,” namely earth, wood, brick, and stone, with very little use of metal. Yet, using these materials, grand architectural forms of all kinds were constructed, which speaks volumes about the diligence and wisdom of the Chinese people.

Folk Legends

Legend has it that Lu Ban, the master carpenter deity, once competed with the Earth Deity to test who had greater magical powers. At the time, Lianzhou was planning to build the Shoufo Hui Guang Pagoda, while the Yao King was constructing a Flower Street. They agreed to complete their tasks within just one night — Lu Ban would build the pagoda, and the Earth Deity would construct the street. That night, under a moonless sky, Lu Ban measured and laid bricks while the Earth Deity cleared paths and filled soil. Both exerted their divine powers. As dawn approached, seeing that Lu Ban was nearing completion of the pagoda's top while his own street project lagged far behind, the Earth Deity hatched a plan. He imitated a rooster’s crow, prompting roosters everywhere to start crowing, making Lu Ban think that daybreak was near. In haste, he forgot to place the pagoda top, leaving it lying on the ground beside the pagoda ever since. This gave rise to the saying: “The ancient pagoda in Huizhou has no shadow; the ancient pagoda in Lianzhou has no top.”

Location

Hui Guang Road, Lianzhou City, Guangdong Province

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units