Xinglong Pagoda

　　Xinglong Pagoda is situated in the northeast corner of Yanzhou city proper within the current museum complex. It takes its name from the ancient Xinglong Temple that originally occupied the site; although the temple has long since been destroyed, the pagoda remains standing firmly. The pagoda stands 54 meters tall with thirteen stories, featuring an octagonal, pavilion-style brick structure. Visitors can climb the internal stairway to the platform on the seventh floor, where they can lean on the stone railing and gaze over the landscape of Yanzhou. The pagoda was initially built during the Sui Dynasty's Kaihuang era (589–600), and it has undergone renovations in subsequent dynasties. Several stone inscriptions recording restorations from the Northern Song and Qing dynasties can still be found inside the pagoda. The pagoda boasts an elegant and upright design that soars toward the sky, with a sturdy lower section that suddenly tapers above the seventh floor—resembling a smaller pagoda atop a larger one—a form unique in China. Xinglong Pagoda is now a provincial-level cultural heritage protection unit.

　　Architectural Structure

　　　　It is an octagonal, thirteen-story hollow brick pavilion-style pagoda. The base perimeter is 48 meters, and the height is 54 meters. The second story features an external balcony, while blind windows decorate the second, fourth, sixth, and seventh stories. The structure is divided into two distinct sections stacked vertically, resembling a parent supporting a child. The lower seven stories are thick and robust, with stepped brick stairways inside and corridors between floors that allow visitors to spiral upwards. A 2-meter-wide balcony is formed between the two sections, encircled by carved stone railings, offering panoramic views. The upper six stories taper sharply, appearing delicate and soaring into the clouds. The sixth story is hollow, with wooden flooring and a staircase leading to the top (now removed). The pagoda’s finial is adorned with a lotus-shaped treasure ornament made of glazed tiles. Inside the pagoda, there are six inscribed stelae recording names.

　　History

　　　　In the past, an annual temple fair was held here on the 16th day of the first lunar month. Scholars, poets, merchants, and visitors would gather, often ascending the pagoda to enjoy the view and compose poetry. Zhu Dangmian, a Ming Dynasty prince, wrote in his poem “Climbing Xinglong Pagoda”: “High as the stars, towering straight into the sky. Bell chimes heard for miles, crane tracks witnessed for a thousand years. Sarira from ancient dynasties transformed, the heart’s lamp burns at midnight. I climb to this summit, reaching out to grasp the clouds and mist.” Other poetic lines describe it as “soaring into white clouds, casting shadows over the Lingguang Temple; emerald hues uniquely settled over the Zhu River, winds echoing in response to Mount Tai,” evoking the feeling of “a towering pagoda reaching the clouds.” Legend says that at sunrise on the summer solstice, the shadow of the pagoda can faintly reveal the Kuixing Tower of Ziyang Mountain, thirty li to the west—its rosy glow forming one of Yanzhou’s Eight Scenic Views, the “Xinglong Pagoda Shadow.” The elegant silhouette of the pagoda, golden mountain hues, shepherd boy’s flute, ancient temple pines, celestial beings dancing, and radiant Lingguang light all complement one another, creating a magnificent sight in the land of Qilu. The pagoda has been renovated through the Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties, refurbished after liberation, and opened to the public for sightseeing. Climbing it allows one to reflect on the past and present, blending emotions with joy and filling the heart with delight, immersing visitors in the charm of the ancient city’s culture and the vibrancy of the modern urban landscape.

　　Origin of the Name

　　　　The current Xinglong Pagoda, standing 54 meters tall with 13 stories in the museum courtyard, is named after the Xinglong Temple where it was built. The temple has long vanished without a trace, but the pagoda remains standing firmly. “Soaring high as the stars, towering straight into the sky” (Zhu Dangmian); “The towering pagoda matches the white clouds, its shadow falling on the ancient Lingguang Hall” (Zhong Hongdao)—both depict its majestic height. The line “shadow falling on the Lingguang” refers to how the pagoda’s shadow could reach Qufu, thirty li to the east, in the evening (Qufu houses the ancient Lu Lingguang Palace ruins), which is also the origin of the name “Xinglong Pagoda Shadow.” The pagoda’s graceful silhouette, golden mountain hues, shepherd’s flute, ancient temple pines, celestial dancers, and radiant Lingguang glow all harmonize, forming a spectacular scene in Shandong. Renovated through the dynasties of Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing, it was restored after the founding of the People’s Republic and opened for sightseeing. Climbing it offers reflection on history, joy, and inspiration, allowing visitors to appreciate the ancient city’s cultural essence and the modern city’s scenery.

　　Construction Time

　　　　Ascending the internal stairway leads to the seventh-floor platform, historically the highest point in Yanzhou. Leaning on the railing, one gazes over a vast expanse. Some say you can even see the Dacheng Hall of Qufu—an exaggeration perhaps in ancient times. The Wanli-era prefectural records from the Ming Dynasty state that the pagoda “was built during the Sui Kaihuang era, has thirteen stories, is hollow, and allows access to the top, with construction date recorded by Yu Chi Gong.” The Qing Dynasty poet Zhong Hongdao wrote, “Moss gradually erodes the Kaihuang characters,” aligning with these records. However, the Ziyang County Annals record the pagoda as built in the second year of Renshou (602). Mr. Zhang Yuhuan’s article (published in the Palace Museum Journal) also argues the pagoda was built in the second year of Renshou, as one of the fifty-three built nationwide in the second batch of that year. Mr. Zhang likely did not see the aforementioned records, relying instead on historical accounts that Emperor Wen of Sui in the first year of Renshou ordered Yu Shu, Prince of Yuzhang, and others to build pagodas. There are also literary references, such as in "Fotuoluoseng Zhuan," where Liu Yizhi describes monks setting up a vow to construct a thirteen-story pagoda. However, those structures were mostly wooden, susceptible to damage and fire, many having collapsed with only a few surviving. Records suggest most were hastily constructed with insufficient funding, lacking upper levels. The existing records thus rely more on these literary sources. Literary works like "Youyang Zazu" contain verses like “The monk ordered the construction of a thirteen-story pagoda in Yanzhou City,” referencing the same event. Of course, those wooden structures no longer exist, and surviving ones are mostly from later reconstructions. Still, based on the earliest records, it is reasonable to conclude they were initially built in the first year of Renshou. As for the steles mentioning the third year of Renshou, they refer to the stone pagoda of Chongfu Temple, not Xinglong Pagoda. The third year of Renshou is also linked to a story recorded in the temple's chronicles. Perhaps the most credible early records are the inscriptions left by worshippers, such as one from March of the eighth year of Jiayou (1063), including names like “the wife of Zhang Yuan, a community member, surnamed Guo, family of twenty.” In the 1930s, renowned ancient architecture experts Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin surveyed the pagoda, documenting it in "A History of Chinese Architecture": “The Xinglong Temple Pagoda in Ziyang County, Shandong, has a rather unique form. The octagonal pagoda has thirteen stories, the entire structure is simple without excessive decoration, each level featuring only short eaves. The body of the pagoda decreases in size with each level, but the top six stories shrink abruptly, as if a smaller pagoda were placed atop an unfinished one. Perhaps construction funds ran out by the seventh level, leading to the reduction of the upper six? The pagoda was built in the eighth year of the Song Dynasty’s Jiayou era.” Liang concluded it was built in the eighth year of Jiayou, clearly based on the inscriptions. Luo Zhewen’s "Chinese Ancient Pagodas" also records this pagoda, stating, “Judging from the existing structure, the pagoda is a Song Dynasty relic.”

　　Inscriptions on the Pagoda

　　　　Many scholars have identified the pagoda as a Song Dynasty structure based on inscriptions, yet there are also multiple Qing Dynasty inscriptions on the pagoda, such as those from the 31st, 35th, 39th, and 59th years of the Kangxi era, mostly found on the fifth and sixth stories. According to the "China Earthquake Catalog," a major earthquake centered around Tancheng and Linyi occurred on June 17, 1668 (July 25, 1668). The Kangxi-era Ziyang County Annals record: “The earthquake destroyed houses, killed many men and women, and ruined Xinglong Temple Pagoda.” It was over twenty years before repairs began, finally completing in the final years of Kangxi’s reign—a process spanning nearly thirty years, with the final work completed by Jin Yifeng, the magistrate of Yanzhou mentioned earlier. The pagoda also bears numerous inscriptions carved by modern individuals using sharp tools, such as “Kun Yuren Miao Zhenguo from Beiping”; “Shi Xinqing from Pingyuan County, taking refuge from Japanese chaos here in the 16th year of the Republic (1937)”; “Nakai Kiyoshi from Nakamura, Saikō District, Tokushima Prefecture, May of the 13th year of Shōwa (1938)”; “Nagahide from Fujisawa District, Azumacho, Fuuchū Village, May 6, 13th year of Shōwa (1938).” The latter two are clearly Japanese. Though not formal inscriptions, these carvings reflect fleeting moments of history and serve as witness to the Japanese invasion of China, evoking a sense of the passage of time. Xinglong Pagoda suffered slight damage during the Battle of Yanzhou and was later restored with national funding in the 1980s. It is now a key provincial cultural heritage site, with the city museum built beneath it.

　　Archaeological Value

　　　　

　　In 2008, a group of thieves dug a tunnel into Xinglong Pagoda, looted part of its underground palace, and attempted to smuggle artifacts abroad, but were caught by customs. The underground palace of Xinglong Pagoda was thus revealed to the public, and—ironically—precious relics such as stone caskets, gold-plated silver coffins, and golden bottles were discovered. According to experts from the Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Institute, this major discovery is extremely rare in China and holds significant value for the study of history, Buddhist history, painting art, and craftsmanship.

　　　　According to the Yanzhou Cultural Relics Bureau, Xinglong Pagoda is located in Yanzhou City and was initially built in the Sui Dynasty, later renovated in the Song Dynasty. Recently, during maintenance and reinforcement of the pagoda’s underground palace, archaeologists unearthed a batch of precious relics, including a stone casket. Inside the casket were a gold-plated silver coffin, a golden bottle, sarira, a “Buddha tooth,” and glass bottles. A stone stele outside the coffin records the construction date, reason, and process of the pagoda and its underground palace, and more importantly, details the origin and enshrinement process of the genuine skull sarira. The stone casket, gold-plated silver coffin, and sarira golden bottle have been designated as national first-class relics, while the sarira stele and glass bottle are classified as national third-class relics.