Mengcheng Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
Buddhas Pagoda Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
The Wanfo Pagoda in Bozhou, Anhui | One of the must-visit attractions in Bozhou
Anhui Bozhou Mengcheng County Wanfo Pagoda Song|||In terms of architectural style, the Wanfo Pagoda is similar to the Chongfa Temple Pagoda (in Yongcheng County, Henan Province), which was built about 10 years earlier than the Wanfo Pagoda, and the two locations are only a little over 100 kilometers apart.
According to inscriptions, it took an astonishing 10 years to build this pagoda.
It is a national key cultural relic protection unit.
Located in a park within the county city, it is open to the public for free.
The Wanfo Pagoda, also known as the Flower-Inserting Pagoda, gets its name because nearly ten thousand small glazed Buddhas are inlaid inside and outside the pagoda.
The Wanfo Pagoda was built during the Northern Song Dynasty. It belonged to Xinghua Temple during the Song Dynasty and to Cishi Temple during the Ming Dynasty. It is an octagonal thirteen-story brick pagoda with a height of 42.2 meters. The pagoda has doors on the four main sides and false windows on the other four sides. The second and third outer eaves are made of brick to form a flat base for the pagoda eaves. Inside the pagoda, there are currently three Song Dynasty steles. According to the inscriptions, the construction reached the fourth floor in the first year of Chongning (1102) and the eleventh floor in the fifth year of Chongning (1106). Based on the time interval between the two steles, it can be inferred that it took four years to go from the fifth to the eleventh floor. With a total of thirteen floors, plus the construction of the foundation and the pagoda spire, the entire pagoda took about ten years to complete, which shows the enormity of the project and the difficulty of construction.
| Mengcheng Zhuan Pagoda. The world is so big, let's go and see it -
In the 1990s, the crosstalk actor Niu Qun, who was popular all over the country, faded out of the public's sight after serving as the deputy county head in Mengcheng County, Bozhou City, Anhui Province. As for the subsequent failure, let's not mention it.
As a senior crosstalk enthusiast, Rui Vision has always wanted to visit Mengcheng, where Niu Qun has struggled, but has not been able to implement it.
The Ning (Nanjing) Luo (Luoyang) Expressway crosses the middle of Mengcheng County from east to west. Rui Vision has passed through Mengcheng County twice on the Ning Luo Expressway, but has not been able to stay.
Until a friend's son who works in Hangzhou got married, I went there with my friend a few days in advance and stayed in Mengcheng for one night.
Early the next morning, the two of us came to the Wanfo Pagoda Park on Baota Road in the north-central part of the county, and checked in this brick pagoda from the Song Dynasty that was selected as the sixth batch of national cultural relics protection units.
This 'National Treasure' also known as the Flower Insertion Pagoda, Xinghua Temple Pagoda, and Cishi Temple Pagoda, which is called 'Mengcheng Brick Pagoda' by the locals, was built in the first year of Chongning in the Song Dynasty (1102), and was named 'Wanfo Pagoda' because of the nearly 10,000 small Buddha statues inlaid inside and outside the pagoda.
Wanfo Pagoda, an octagonal thirteen-story pavilion-style brick pagoda, is 42.2 meters high, with a base circumference of 24 meters and a diameter of 8 meters. It is named for the more than 8,000 Buddha statues inlaid inside and outside the pagoda. There is a temple on the east side of the pagoda, named Xinghua Temple, so the earliest name of the pagoda was Xinghua Pagoda.
The pagoda is made of iron, with a duplicate bowl, five wheels, a treasure cover, and a treasure bottle.
The 13-story Wanfo Pagoda is 38.6 meters high (42.2 meters according to one account), with a base circumference of 24.3 meters. Each floor has 8 doors, 4 real and 4 fake. The positions of the doors and windows below the 7th floor are the same, and they are changed layer by layer above the 8th floor. They are staggered up and down. Each floor is decorated with various patterns under the flying eaves, and the top of the pagoda is equipped with an iron bell, and each corner of the flying eaves hangs a bell.
The pagoda is built with water-milled green bricks, and the inner and outer bodies are inlaid with more than 1,300 red, yellow, and green glazed bricks. Each brick is carved with 3 Buddha statues, with Sakyamuni in the middle, Jia Ye on the left, and Anan on the right. There are also a few bricks that only have one Buddha statue, totaling more than 6,000.
The Buddha statues on the pagoda, another saying is that there are more than 8,000 in total.
These Buddha statues are relics of the Song Dynasty, and some are added in later generations.
The fourth floor of the pagoda is commonly known as the 'small temple', enshrining the three statues of Guan Yu, Guan Ping, and Zhou Cang, which were destroyed in the 1950s
There are two inscriptions on the construction of the pagoda in the Wanfo Pagoda: one is on the fourth floor, carved in the first year of Chongning in the Song Dynasty (1102); the other is on the eleventh floor, carved in the fifth year of Chongning (1106).
Judging from the time difference between the two inscriptions, it took four years from the fifth to the eleventh floor. The whole pagoda has thirteen floors, plus the construction of the foundation and the pagoda, it took about ten years to build the whole pagoda.
The Wanfo Pagoda is majestic and beautiful in shape, and is a direct reflection of the superb architectural craftsmanship and social aesthetic concept of the Northern Song Dynasty.
Since 1977, the cultural relics department has carried out comprehensive maintenance on the Wanfo Pagoda, reinforced the pagoda base, filled in cracks, repaired severely damaged Buddha statue bricks, added a lightning rod to the top of the pagoda, and restored the original appearance of the pagoda.
In 1981, the Wanfo Pagoda was included in the 'Dictionary of Famous Scenic Spots in China'.
In 2006, the Wanfo Pagoda was announced by the State Council as the sixth batch of national key cultural relics protection units.
Wanfo Pagoda
GARRETT COPELAND
Take a look at the Wanfo Pagoda in Mengcheng in early spring
Take a look at the Wanfo Pagoda in Mengcheng in early spring
In March 2023, I returned to my hometown Mengcheng and suddenly wanted to see the Wanfo Pagoda. Although I often go back, I suddenly realized that it seems that there has been nearly 20 years of time, and I haven't seen it up close. People are like this, often overlooking the people and things around you, maybe they are the precious and cherish in life. In early spring, it is warm and cold, the willows are green, and when you walk into the Wanfo Pagoda Park, time seems to be now, and it seems to shuttle back 20 years ago, moving forward and stagnating, indescribable mixed feelings, just like visiting a familiar and strange old friend. Nothing has changed and it seems that everything has changed. The Wanfo Pagoda, as its name suggests, has a pagoda body with a so-called ten thousand glazed Buddha statues. Also known as the Flower Insertion Pagoda, Xinghua Temple Pagoda, Cishi Temple Pagoda (because there was Xinghua Temple in the Song Dynasty and Cishi Temple in the Yuan Dynasty here), commonly known as "Mengcheng Brick Pagoda", located in Baota Middle Road, Chengguan Town, Mengcheng County, Bozhou City, Anhui Province. The entire pagoda is an octagonal thirteen-story pavilion-style brick pagoda, 42.2 meters high, with a circumference of 24 meters at the bottom and a diameter of 8 meters. The Wanfo Pagoda was built in the first year of Chongning in the Song Dynasty (1102). The body is not very large, but the shape is beautiful, the structure is rich in changes, and the preservation is relatively complete. It is a fusion of Chinese north and south pagoda construction techniques, with beautiful shapes and gorgeous decorations, unique, both iconic and prayerful and symbolic. It is now also a national cultural protection unit.
When I was young, I went to see the pagoda. At that time, the management was not perfect. The pagoda could be climbed and played at will. The more you go up, the narrower it becomes until it is solid. There are many folk tales and life anecdotes about the pagoda. Some say that the pagoda is inhabited by spirits and fairy objects, and some say it is a holy place for lovers to date. The current pagoda, renovated, with trees planted around it and a square laid out, also has a guardian beast. Of course, the current pagoda cannot be climbed, it can only be viewed from a distance. Although it is more majestic, it also lacks a bit of life intimacy. People grow year by year, and the pagoda also becomes more ancient, as if they are all growing. Whether you are in a foreign land or near the ground, take the time to take a look at the Wanfo Pagoda! Maybe it is a period of time in your life.
DANNA BECK
Qiushuiyuan Hotel Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
Stay in the Hui-style B&B with white walls, black tiles, and horse-head walls—Anhui Qiushuiyuan
After the first sentence, the beauty of Huizhou seems to flow quietly in dreams. Passing through the ancient white walls and black tiles, under the courtyard, it feels as tranquil and abundant as if all waters return to the hall. Stepping into the deep porch and walking between the corridors, the unique view of the courtyard suddenly unfolds before your eyes.
Qiushuiyuan Hotel draws inspiration from the typical architecture of southern Anhui's Huizhou style, blending local Zhuangzi philosophy and the natural aesthetics of Hui architecture to create a living space that possesses both natural charm and cultural rhythm. Here, every brick and tile exudes the unique beauty of Hui architecture, creating a picturesque scenery, and at the same time, it is a cultural journey and a warm and elegant living experience that is present everywhere.
The region of Huizhou is famous for its 'Three Carvings' art—wood carving, stone carving, and brick carving—which with their exquisite craftsmanship and aesthetics, display the harmony of nature, life, and daily living. The ancient buildings of Huizhou are characterized by white walls, black tiles, and gray bricks, complemented by the exquisite carvings of horse-head walls, forming the architectural features of this region.
The interior cleverly integrates the effects of light and shadow, natural materials, and harmonious colors, creating a wonderful space that reflects the external landscape. The furniture retains its natural texture and warm atmosphere, becoming more enchanting as time passes.
The independent dining space has a dining area downstairs, while upstairs is a leisure area full of tea art and reading. The simplicity and tranquility here remain even as time flows. Between the rustic raw wood and the elegant bluestone, the intertwining of music, chess, calligraphy, painting, tea fragrance, and wine flowers creates a serene atmosphere of peaceful times.
The spirit of Huizhou diffuses leisurely here, making every inch of the space overflow with the beauty of landscape gardens. The design is simple yet not lacking in splendor, inviting deep exploration, releasing the true self, and forgetting the shackles of the mundane world. The guest rooms present the charm of Huizhou architecture with smooth lines and a reasonable layout, making one feel as if they are immersed in the ancient charm of Huizhou.
Aurora Evans
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