Jiangsu North Pagoda, Suzhou China

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North Pagoda

The North Pagoda of Suzhou, lies in Pingmen area next to the North Temple in City of Suzhou of Jiangsu Province.

The temple was built in the Three Kingdoms Period, with its original name Tongxuan Temple. It is a famous scenic spot of Suzhou.

The construction of the temple had been done during the Times of Wu Chi, in Wu Kingdom (238~251A.D.). King Sun Quan asked the workmen to built it and he named it - Tongxuan Temple.

This temple was destroyed and rebuilt many times during the course of history, until the period of Emperor Shaoxin of Southern Song Dynasty (1153A.D.), the pagoda was rebuilt by Master Da Yuan and he named it "North Pagoda". The pagoda had been rebuilt several times during the Yuan, Ming and Ch'ing Dynasty, so that we can see its great appearance today.

The 76 meters high pagoda is an octagon shape structure. All the floors and angles were placed in order. There are graceful corridors outside the pagoda, which give it a great deal of boldness of vision, so that it became a famous pagoda of South China.

The whole area of the pagoda is 1.2 mu (a Chinese unit of area, 1 mu = 0.16 acre). The pagoda includes the outside and inside corridors, and the center square room of the pagoda. Wooden stairs were placed in the inside corridor so visitors can go upstairs.

Going around the outside corridor of the top floor and looking beyond, you will see the beautiful views of entire city and it surrounding areas.

There are many ancient relics left near the pagoda. For instance, the Guanyin Hall, which was rebuilt in 1612, in the years of Emperor Wanli of Ming Dynasty (1368~1644A.D.). The hall has another name "Nanmu Guanyin Hall"; The stone tablet which says about the king of Wu Kingdom, entertaining the envoys from Yuan Dynasty.