The pagoda of Xingfu Temple

The pagoda of Xingfu Temple

Chongjiao Xingfu Temple Pagoda, formerly known as chongjiao pagoda, is commonly known as the square pagoda. Founded in 1130, it is located at 7-0 tahou street, Changshu City, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province.

The pagoda of chongjiao Xingfu temple is a nine level brick Pagoda with four sides wooden eaves and a helmet shaped top, with a total height of 67.58 meters. The tower is divided layer by layer, and the vertical veranda is parabola shaped, elegant and straight. The surface of the tower is three rooms wide, with a door opening in the Ming Dynasty. The bottom layer is of arch ring type, and the rest are pot shaped.

The wooden structure and tower body of Xingfu temple still retain the architectural style and construction characteristics of Song Dynasty. The pagoda provides an example of the transition period to reveal the evolution and development of the angle beam structure of ancient architecture in the south of the Yangtze River, that is, the gradual development from gently rising to high rising.

On May 25, 2006, chongjiao Xingfu Temple Pagoda was announced as the Sixth Batch of national key cultural relics protection units by the State Council of the people's Republic of China.

Historical evolution

In the fourth year of Jianyan in the Southern Song Dynasty (1130), the pagoda base of chongjiao Xingfu temple was built, 200 steps to the East and slightly to the north of the county.

During the reign of xianchunjian (1265-1274), monk Fayuan removed the relic and rebuilt the pagoda of Xingfu temple, which is nine levels high.

Ming Hongwu eight years (1375), chongjiao Xingfu Temple Pagoda monk Jinghui rebuilt, eight years after the completion.

In the 11th year of Qianlong (1746), the wooden structure of the pagoda of chongjiao Xingfu temple was destroyed by lights. In the second year, Cheng Guangju, the governor of grain road, advocated the reconstruction of the pagoda.

In the tenth year of Xianfeng (1860), the pagoda of Xingfu temple was destroyed in the war, and the pagoda survived alone.

Guangxu 30 years (1904), chongjiao Xingfu temple tower reconstruction.

During the period of the Republic of China (1912-1949), the relic of the pagoda and Buddhist temple of chongjiao Xingfu Temple disappeared.

At the beginning of the Anti Japanese War, the pagoda of the temple was damaged.

From 1963 to 1964, chongjiao Xingfu temple tower implemented the first and second phase rush repair project, which solved the problems of tower brake deviation correction, roof, wall, railing repair and lightning rod installation.

In 1977, a square pagoda Park was built around the pagoda of Xingfu temple.

From 1998 to 1999, the pagoda of chongjiao Xingfu temple was overhauled, and the dangerous situations such as corner beam, bucket arch, flat seat, railing sinking and displacement, and cracks in the brick wall of the pagoda were relieved.

Architectural features

The pagoda of chongjiao Xingfu temple is a nine level brick Pagoda with four sides wooden eaves and a helmet shaped top, with a total height of 67.58 meters. The tower is divided layer by layer, and the vertical veranda is parabola shaped, elegant and straight. The surface of the tower is three rooms wide, with a door opening in the Ming Dynasty. The bottom layer is of arch ring type, and the rest are pot shaped. The thickest part of the tower wall is 2 meters, and the depth of the flat seat varies from 0.9 to 1.1 meters. The cornice is supported by pillars, and three geometric railings are set on each side. On the ground floor, there is an ambulatory with auxiliary steps, and there are doors on all sides. On both sides of the door, there are vertical lattice windows. The corner is semicircle leaning against the column, and the bucket arch carries out the eaves. Above the second floor, there is a waist eaves and a flat seat, and the eaves pillars support the eaves. The angle of the wing is up, and the copper bell is hung on it. The bottom floor of the tower room is octagonal, and there is a dark layer between it and the second floor. Above the second floor, it is square. There are escalators on each floor to access the top floor. The walls of the tower room are built with brick columns, aprons and brackets. There are tower brake columns from the seventh floor to the third floor, which are connected by round hardwood. The diameter is up to 0.6 meters, and the total length is 32.5 meters. There are two East-West beams at the bottom, and two beams are set in the eighth and ninth floors as cross shape between the walls to clamp the tower core column, so as to support the iron brake parts. The Tasha is composed of iron covered bowl, seven phase wheel, vase, cover, pearl, dew bearing plate and other components.

Layout structure

The pagoda angle of chongjiao Xingfu temple is as wide as a wing, the top of the pagoda is helmet shaped, and the facade contour is parabolic, with elegant shape and soft lines. The pagoda of chongjiao Xingfu temple was built on the basis of Fengshui theory, which is one of the early Fengshui pagodas in China. The wood structure and the tower body still retain the architectural style and construction characteristics of Song Dynasty. Although the pagoda of chongjiao Xingfu temple, like laojiaoliang and zijiaoliang, has been built in the form of tender berms, the angle between them is gentle. The angle between them is about 141 degrees, which is slower than 130 degrees recorded in Jianzao FA yuan. The value of the angle between Song Dynasty architecture and Qing Dynasty architecture represented by Jianzao FA Shi and Jianzao FA yuan.

Cultural relics

The ancient well of the Southern Song Dynasty is the same age as the square pagoda, with a depth of 5.7 meters. The well platform is a block of bluestone, and the deep rope marks on the wellhead witness the history. It was the daily water supply for monks in the temple beside the pagoda at that time.

Ancient temple Ginkgo

Over 870 years old Ginkgo biloba trees are 25 meters high and more than 2 meters in diameter at breast height, ranking third among the same tree species in Changshu. They are fruitful in autumn and October every year.

Zuiwei tingchi

Zuiwei refers to Zhang Xu, a famous calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty, who is good at cursive writing and is known as "the sage of cursive writing". His cursive writing, together with Li Bai's poetry and Pei min's sword dance, is known as "the three wonders of the Tang Dynasty". Zhang Xu once served as a county magistrate in Changshu, but also a drinker. His former site is called Zuiwei street. To commemorate his important position in the history of Chinese calligraphy, Zuiwei pavilion was built in Fangta Garden, which is separated from Zuiwei street, and Zuiwei pool was chiseled to inspire future generations.

The pagoda provides an example of the transition period to reveal the evolution and development of the angle beam structure of ancient architecture in the south of the Yangtze River, that is, the gradual development from gently rising to high rising. The pagoda of chongjiao Xingfu temple has a wooden flat base on the outer wall of the bottom layer. In the basic work of cleaning up and exploration during the implementation of the rectification project, structural remains buried by stone slabs and soil were found, which is extremely rare in the existing ancient pagodas in China. This discovery not only enriches the existing types of ancient pagoda type system in China, but also provides an example for the research on the structural type system of "flat seat making" in the Song Dynasty's "Zao Zao FA Shi".

Cultural relics protection

In April 1995, the pagoda of chongjiao Xingfu temple was listed as a cultural relic protection unit in Jiangsu Province.

On May 25, 2006, chongjiao Xingfu Temple Pagoda was announced as the Sixth Batch of national key cultural relics protection units by the State Council of the people's Republic of China.

In the Southern Song Dynasty, a monk Wen Yong put forward that "the residence of Ziyi is higher on the right and lower on the left. It is suitable for Canglong's left corner to make a floating picture to win." County Magistrate Li Zhishan said that the tower was built by order. It was rebuilt several times in yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. In Xianfeng of Qing Dynasty, the temple was destroyed and the pagoda survived.

Tourism information

Address: jusha garden, East Street, Meili Town, Changshu City, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province.

Transportation: take bus No.126, 121, 113, 122, 117 to fangtayuan.

Address: no.7-0 tahou street, Changshu, Suzhou

Longitude: 120.748706

Latitude: 31.645524

Tel: 0512-52700212

Ticket information: market price: 10.0 yuan

Chinese PinYin : Chong Jiao Xing Fu Si Ta