Three shadow tower

Three shadow tower

Sanying tower, also known as Yanxiang poetry tower, is located in the north of Sanying Tower Square in Nanxiong City, Guangdong Province, China. It was built in 1009, the second year of Dazhong Xiangfu in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Sanying pagoda faces south. It is a brick Pagoda with six corners and nine storeys. It is 50.2 meters high. There is a brick on the south side of the first floor of the pagoda, which is named "March 14, the second year of Dazhong Xiangfu". The whole body of the tower is made of different sizes of green bricks. The body of the tower is hollow, and each layer is equipped with imitation wood structure, Pu Bai Fang, corner column and Shi Dou arch. The top of the pagoda is of the hexagonal cusp type, and the top is the Tasha, which is composed of an iron cast basin, a treasure vase, a nine layer phase wheel and a copper cast pearl. The pagoda has nine outer layers and seventeen inner layers. Each layer is a hexagonal inner chamber with niches on all sides of the inner wall. Sanying pagoda is a well preserved brick pagoda of Northern Song Dynasty in Guangdong Province, which has important historical, scientific, architectural and artistic values.

On January 13, 1988, the three shadow pagoda was announced by the State Council of the people's Republic of China as the third batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

Historical evolution

The three shadow pagoda was built in 1009, the second year of Dazhong Xiangfu in the Northern Song Dynasty.

The three shadow pagoda has undergone five or six repairs in history.

In 1446, the Sanying tower was rebuilt.

In 1981, the former cultural relics bureau of the Ministry of culture of Nanxiong county and the Guangdong Department of culture carried out a comprehensive repair of the three shadow pagoda. The whole repair project was completed in 1986.

In 2016, the three shadow towers were rebuilt and reopened to the public in 2017.

Architectural features

structure

The three shadow pagoda faces south from the north. It is a brick Pagoda with six corners and nine storeys. Its face width and height are decreasing. The tower is 50.2 meters high. To the south of the first floor of the tower, there is a "March 14, the second year of Dazhong Xiangfu" chronological brick. On the first floor, there are six eaves columns, lotus shaped stone column foundations, and thirty brackets on six sides. The diameter of xumizuo is 8.95M. The whole body of the tower is laid with green bricks of different sizes and bonded with yellow mud. The body of the tower is of open stomach type, and each floor is equipped with imitation wooden structure, Pu Bai Fang, corner column and Shidou arch. The top of the eaves is covered with iron red glazed tiles, and each ridge end is covered with pottery figurines. A bell is tied under the cantilever eaves. The top of the pagoda is of the hexagonal cusp type, and the top is the Tasha, which is composed of an iron cast basin, a treasure vase, a nine layer phase wheel and a copper cast pearl.

The three shadow pagoda has nine outer layers and 17 inner layers. Each layer is a hexagonal inner chamber. There are niches on four sides of the inner wall. The form of niches imitates the Zhiti grottoes of Indian Buddhists. The niches in the grottoes are specially designed for Buddhists to meditate on the wall. The six sides of the outer wall are equipped with a pot door, and the pot door on each floor is connected with the flat seat of the corridor, and the fence is set for a week, so that you can climb up and overlook.

characteristic

Three shadow tower design law, the score is appropriate, the proportion is beautiful, the modelling is neat, straight and beautiful, the craft is exquisite.

Cultural relics

In front of the three shadow pagoda, there is a pair of red sandstone lions, which were excavated from the Yanxiang Temple site in 1983. The stone lion is a squatting style, with male on the left and female on the right. The heads of the two lions are corresponding to each other. The shape of the stone lion is fierce and the eyes are divine.

History and culture

Original name

According to the annals of Nanxiong Prefecture, the tower was built in 1009, the second year of Dazhong Xiangfu in the Northern Song Dynasty. There are three shadows. Because of the three shadow halls, their shadows can be seen in the wall. The two shadows are hanging upside down, and the other one is upward, so it is called "three shadow tower". Because there was Yanxiang Temple beside the pagoda, it is also called Yanxiang Temple Pagoda.

Site selection concept

The site selection of Sanying tower is basically in line with the site selection principle of Fengshui tower. The tower is located in the southeast of xiongzhouzi City, back to Ruiying mountain and south to Zhenshui river. The River encircles the city from east to west and passes in front of the tower. It plays the role of collecting water and gathering gas, revitalizing literary style and subduing demons. At the same time, it has become an important landmark of the city and plays the role of Fengshui tower. The three shadow pagoda became the guard of the left wing of the ancient city. Therefore, it is popular among the people that Nanxiong ancient city is like a long and narrow ship, close to the surging Zhenjiang river. A mast in the middle of the ship is towering over the sky. This mast is the three shadow tower.

Legends and anecdotes

It is said that in the Southern Dynasties, Xiao Tong, the eldest son of emperor Liang Wu, lived in seclusion and studied in Shixing. One year, the plague was prevalent in Shixing and Nanxiong. In order to cure the disease and save the people, Xiao Tong rose to drive the plague. He went all the way from Shixing to Ruiying mountain in Nanxiong (today's three shadow pagoda area). When he saw a dragon, he caught it, cut off its horn and ground water to cure the common people, and soon put out the plague. The people were saved, but Xiao Tong was infected with an epidemic and died on the Dragon Boat Festival.

Later generations built a Yanxiang temple in Ruiying mountain to commemorate the benevolent prince. When the pagoda was built beside the temple, the statues of Chen were placed in the eaves of the pagoda to send the message of exorcism and TOEFL.

Cultural relic value

Sanying pagoda is a well preserved brick pagoda of Northern Song Dynasty in Guangdong Province, which has important historical, scientific, architectural and artistic values.

The construction and development of the three shadow pagoda reflects the rise and fall of local culture and the changes of religious culture in Xiongzhou, and has important historical value for the textual research of local historical, cultural and geographical environment. There are inscriptions on the pagoda which can be dated absolutely, which provides an important reference for the study of the chronology and development of the ancient pagoda. The shape of the tower reflects some typical characteristics of Song Dynasty architecture, which provides a basis for textual research and verification of the characteristics of Song Dynasty architecture.

Cultural relics protection

In 1981, the Cultural Relics Bureau of the Ministry of culture of Nanxiong City and the Guangdong Department of culture carried out a comprehensive repair of the three shadow pagoda. The brush type tower brake, which is not suitable for the overall style of the pagoda, was removed and restored to the disc phase wheel tower brake of the Buddha pagoda. The inner part of the pagoda was reinforced with reinforced cement mortar, swayed with lime, and the secondary steps were restored.

On January 13, 1988, the three shadow pagoda was announced by the State Council of the people's Republic of China as the third batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

Tourism information

geographical position

Sanying tower is located in the north of Sanying Tower Square, Nanxiong City, Guangdong Province, China.

Opening Hours

08:00—17:00

Ticket Price

There are 50 Places in the morning and afternoon of each open day.

Traffic information

Take a bus from Nanxiong City to Sanying tower; walk southwest along Xiongzhou Avenue from Nanxiong bus station, about 15 minutes.

Address: Sanying Cultural Square, Qingyun East Road, Nanxiong, Shaoguan

Longitude: 114.30416107178

Latitude: 25.102077484131

Ticket information: market price: 5.0 yuan

Chinese PinYin : San Ying Ta