Longhua Pagoda

　　   Legend has it that Longhua Pagoda was first built in the 10th year of the Chiwu era (247 AD) during the Eastern Wu Dynasty, commissioned by Sun Quan, who bestowed upon it the name “Longhua.” It was constructed to enshrine five-colored Buddhist relics obtained from the monk community in Kanguo, India. The current structure of Longhua Pagoda was rebuilt in the 2nd year of the Taiping Xingguo era (977 AD) under the Wuyue Kingdom by King Qian Chu. Renovations were carried out in the 3rd year of the Zhiping era (1066 AD), the 17th year of the Shaoxing era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1147 AD), the 20th year of the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1541 AD), the 3rd year of the Chongzhen era (1630 AD), 1668, and 1892. During the Republican period (1912–1949), the pagoda suffered repeated damage. Although repairs were made, it gradually fell into decline. After the liberation, the Shanghai Municipal Cultural Relics Management Committee conducted the first comprehensive restoration of the pagoda in 1954.

　　   The pagoda is a brick-and-wood structure with corridor-style eaves and multiple tiers. It stands 40.6 meters tall, with an octagonal seven-story exterior and a square interior. Each level tapers inward as it rises, forming closely stacked eaves. The ground floor features a surrounding veranda, and each successive level has a surrounding open-air terrace enclosed by wooden railings, which also follow the curve of the tower. Bracket arms (dougong) project outward to form overhanging eaves, resembling high and pointed teeth, beneath which 56 bronze wind bells are suspended. The inner walls of the pagoda are square, with the base being large and each tier narrowing upward into tightly layered eaves. Each level of the interior has doors on all four sides opening to the outer corridor, with the direction of these doorways rotating by 45 degrees per level. For example, the four ground-floor doors face east, south, west, and north respectively, while the second-floor doors face southeast, southwest, northwest, and northeast. The third floor returns to the same door orientation as the ground floor. The top of the pagoda is crowned with an iron spire, 9.25 meters high, consisting of 18 components made of copper and iron, including a inverted bowl, a disk, a finial, a precious vase, and a seven-tiered incense burner. The tower now displays a classic pavilion-style structure with elegantly curved pillars and gilded elements. Its upturned eaves feature 56 hanging bronze bells, creating a majestic and picturesque scene when the wind rings them. The central pillar inside the pagoda is a 18-meter-long wooden column, situated in the center of the brick chamber on the sixth level, penetrating through the top and finally enclosed by the spire.

　　   Compared to the Shakyamuni Pagoda (Yingxian Wooden Pagoda) in Shanxi, Longhua Pagoda is slimmer and taller, with a more upright and lofty spire. Its form is delicate and graceful, exuding a lovely beauty that harmonizes well with the scenery of the Jiangnan region. Longhua Pagoda and the Shakyamuni Pagoda are two of the most iconic representations of northern and southern Chinese architectural styles, both ranking among the finest works of Chinese architectural art.

　　   In 2006, Longhua Pagoda, as an ancient structure from the Song Dynasty, was included in the sixth batch of Major National Historical and Cultural Sites by the State Council.

　　   Address: No. 2853 Longhua Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai (near Longhua Temple)

　　   Type: Historic Site / Ancient Pagoda

　　   Phone: 021-64566085