Nanchang Shengjin Pagoda, China

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Shengjin Pagoda

Shengjin Pagoda is located on the Zhushi Street of Nanchang, it is the highest construction of the city. The simple and unsophisticated pagoda makes the ancient city more beautiful.

The Shengjin Pagoda was built in the years of Tianyou Period of Tang Dynasty, 904 to 907 AD. Though it is more than 1000 years old, its structure has been perfectly reserved.

The 59 meters high pagoda has seven floors. It is made up of bricks and woods. Looking from outside, it has eight angles. Each floor has sharp angle eaves and eight doors. Inside the pagoda, there is a rotary stair going to the top.

Climbing up the pagoda and looking into the distance, you can see the Ganjing River with smoke flying above and the ancient city Nanchang with luxuriant trees. The pagoda and the Price Teng's Pavilion are standing opposite to each other at a distance in the city.

Near the Shengjin Pagoda, there is a Shengjin Temple with an ancient name Tianfo Compound. People also call it Taxia Temple. The temple and the pagoda were built at the same time. In the front of the temple, there is a moon-like pond.

In the ancient days, people called it Fangsheng Pond, whatever your hope was, after you had made some animal free in the pond, your dream would come true. If you're planing to travel around Nanchang, don't miss the pagoda and the temple.

History:

It is said a bag was unearthed in the area of the pagoda when it was built. In the bag, there were four golden ropes, a letter, three ancient swords, and a golden bottle with Shelizi (Buddhism relics left after the cremation of Buddhas or saintly monks).

The master who in charge of the construction sold the golden ropes to get the fund. Later, when all the construction was accomplished, he consecrated the bottle in the pagoda and put the letter and the swords in the temple. The pagoda was called Jinsheng Pagoda at first, but later was changed to Shengjin Pagoda.

Because of the wars and corrode erosion by wind and rain, the pagoda was clearly destroyed. In the Kangxi Period of Qing Dynasty, it was rebuilt. In the 53 year of Qianglong Period, the king asked people to put a golden pot on the top to prevent the fire, because Nanchang city got a great many fires these days.

On the pot, there is inscription saying: Shui Huo Ji Ji, Zuo Zhen Jiang Cheng, means the pagoda with golden pot would keep the city away from fire. The pagoda and the temple we can see today, was rebuilt in the 7th year of Tongzhi Period of Qing Dynasty (1868 AD).