Liuhe Pagoda at Hangzhou, China - Unique Steeples on Waymarking.com

The Liuhe (translated as 'Six Harmonies') Pagoda is located on Yuelun Hill overlooking the Qiantang River, and south of West Lake. It's one of the true masterpieces of ancient Chinese architecture.
The name comes from the six Buddhist ordinances. It is said that the reason for building this pagoda is to both calm the tidal waters of the Qiantang River and as a navigational aid.

The pagoda was constructed in 971. During a battle in the year 1121
it was completely destroyed but restored from 1152 until 1161 under Emperor Gaozong, the first emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), after he'd seen the damage of river waves to the banks, farmlands and residential houses.

During the Yuan Dynasty (1333-1335) the pagoda was carefully rebuilt. In 1533 it was severely damaged by Japanese invaders. Luckily, during the reign of Emperor Wanli of Ming Dynasty (1573-1620) a large-scale reconstruction was undertaken. In 1735, under the support of Emperor Yongzheng, Li Wei, the governor of Zhejiang province rebuilt it again.

In 1751 Emperor Qianlong visited Liuhe several times. Specifically for this pagoda, the talented emperor wrote some poems to express his feelings on the splendour of the building and its surroundings. Moreover, he also inscribed four Chinese Characters on the Paifang building in front of pagoda and presented seven tablets based on the knowledge of Buddhism for the seven floors.

Until the late Qing Dynasty, Liuhe Pagoda was gradually ruined and the exterior wooden structure entirely broken.
In 1899, Zhu Zhi, a native of Hangzhou donated a lot of money to have it restored. This was a considerable project lasting many years.

In 1961, Liuhe Pagoda was added to the List of National Key Cultural Sites by the State Council of the New China. Several large reconstructions took place, the largest one in 1986. Today's Liuhe Pagoda was the efficacy of this largest reconstruction.

The present pagoda is octagonal in shape and just short of 60 metres high. It appears to be a thirteen-story structure, but it only has seven interior stories. A spiral staircase leads to the top floor and upon each of the seven ceilings are carved and painted figures. Each story of the pagoda consists of four elements : the exterior walls, a zigzagging corridor, interior walls and a small chamber. Viewed from outside, the pagoda appears to be layered-bright on the upper surface and dark underneath - a harmonious alternation of light and shade.

Upon ascending the pagoda, visitors can enjoy a spectacular view of the Qiantang River Bridge spanning the surging tides of the stream below it.

Location of the Steeple: Zhijiang Road Xihu District Hangzhou, Zhejiang China 310000 Approximate Date of Construction: 971 Website: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   02/27/2006 Arkhan visited it