Miaoguang tower

Miaoguang tower

Miaoguang tower, located on the East Bank of nanmenwai canal in Wuxi City, is a scenic spot in Nanchen temple. It was built in the Yongxi period of the Northern Song Dynasty (984-987) and was donated by Zhu Chengfu, a native of the city. In 1104, the third year of Chongning, Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty, the pagoda was named miaoguang. The tower was rebuilt in 1449, the 14th year of Ming Dynasty. After that, it was repaired. During the reign of Xianfeng and Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty, only the bare pagoda without top was left. In 1926, Wuxi industrialists Rong Zongjing, Rong Desheng and Tang Shenbo invested in the reconstruction of the eaves, platform and guardrail of the tower into reinforced concrete structure. In 1980, Wuxi Municipal People's government appropriated funds for restoration, cleaned up the tower base which had been buried for many years, restored the ring corridor on the ground floor, and opened it to the outside world.

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brief introduction

Miaoguang tower is a seven story octagonal brick tower, which is divided into three parts: the base, the body and the top. The diameter of the tower base pedestal is 13.5m, the diameter of the bottom layer of the tower is 7.5m, the depth of the ring gallery is 3M, the height of the tower base pedestal is 1.3m, the height of the tower is 36m, the tower is reduced layer by layer, and the top of the tower is 6m, with a total height of 43.3m. The base of the pagoda is xumizuo carved with bluestone, and the waist part is carved with Ming Dynasty "top flower tie" pattern. Xumizuo tooth foot is a popular "Gui foot" in Ming Dynasty. Under xumizuo is a layer of carved "continuous cloud". The base of the blue stone with decorative patterns is exquisitely carved, and the corners at the bottom of the tower are all brick leaning columns. The center of the tower is hollow, with brick stairs on each floor, platform corridor, guardrail and eaves. When it was rebuilt in the Republic of China, it was changed into reinforced concrete structure, and the top of the tower was changed into porcelain cement gourd. There are 10 small niches on the four doors of the outer wall of the ground floor, for which there are seven small iron Buddhas and three imitations. In the ring corridor of the ground floor, there is a stele named "records of the tower rebuilt in the South Chan Temple" written by Zhang Si'an and Chen mianshu in 1457, the first of which is damaged. There is also the stele of rebuilding miaoguang tower written by Qian Jingchun in 1586. When the tower was completed in 1983, it was engraved with the stele of "rebuilding miaoguang tower". In front of the pagoda are two stone incense stoves unearthed in 1535 and 1583 respectively.

Since Yongle in Ming Dynasty, "the pagoda of Southern Chan" has been listed as one of the "eight sceneries of Xishan". In 1957, it was announced by Wuxi Municipal People's government as a municipal cultural relics protection unit.

history

Miaoguang pagoda was first built in the Yongxi period of the Northern Song Dynasty (984-987). In the first year of Tianshun (1457) of the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Si'an wrote the story of rebuilding the pagoda of Nanchan Temple: "in the west of the courtyard, there is a stream called Liangxi, which connects with the second spring of Huishan. Therefore, the old prime minister said that there was a huge dragon winding in the water. When the sky and the earth were dark, the wind and rain were blowing, and the residents were shocked and the merchants were worried. In the middle of Yongxi, a monk stationed in Xiyu said to the public, "the dragon is in the ear, so it's appropriate to build a Fu Tu town. Then the dragon will dive and live in peace.".

The pagoda stands at the intersection of yangyaowan canal in the south gate. Zhu Chengfu, a native of the city, donated money to build a seven level floating Tu on the east side of the main axis of the temple. In the third year of Chongning (1329) of the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhao Ji of Huizong named the South Chan Temple Pagoda miaoguang pagoda. In the second year of Tianli (1104) of the Yuan Dynasty, a fire broke out and the monk's heart was repaired. In the fifth year of Yongle (1407) of Ming Dynasty, fire broke out again. In the second year of Xuande (1427), monk Xinyue and Yiwei were rebuilt. In the eighth year of Xuande, the tower collapsed, and a reed was rebuilt in the first year of Zhengtong. In the fourteenth year of Zhengtong, his two disciples Dufeng and baiting continued to build it. The existing miaoguang tower was built in the orthodox period of Ming Dynasty, and was overhauled in the 14th year of Wanli (1586). From the 32nd year to the 42nd year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, Seng Chaocheng and Mingyu were repaired for another 10 years. In the 8th year of Emperor Qianlong (1743), the living Seng Changqing was repaired again. In the eighth and eighteenth years of Daoguang, miao'an and Jianhai were built twice. Ten years ago, Xianfeng was hit by a fire. During the reign of Guangxu, the top of the tower was burned again.

In 1926, Rong Zongjing and Rong Desheng invested 1000 yuan from the beginning of January to the completion of October 15. The top, eaves, corridor and floor were all made of cement. In 1980 and 1992, the Municipal People's Government renovated the pagoda twice, cleared out the Song Dynasty bluestone xumizuo buried underground, and restored the ring corridor on the ground floor.

Address: nanchansi pedestrian street

Longitude: 120.30874398834

Latitude: 31.566598

Chinese PinYin : Miao Guang Ta