Complete detailed information of Zhenguo Temple Tower

Gaoyou Zhenguosi Pagoda is now a world heritage site, a national 3A tourist attraction, and a national key cultural relics protection unit.

The Zhenguo Temple Pagoda, also known as the West Pagoda, was listed as a World Heritage in 2014 (it is an important part of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, my country's 46th World Heritage).

Among the ancient pagodas in the country, there are only two square ancient pagodas, one is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an, and the other is the Zhenguo Temple Pagoda in Gaoyou. The Zhenguo Temple Pagoda retains the architectural style of the ancient pagodas of the Tang Dynasty, which is similar to the architectural style of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an. Therefore, the Zhenguo Temple Pagoda is also known as the "Big Wild Goose Pagoda of the South". It is located in the middle of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in Gaoyou City, Jiangsu Province.

The Zhenguo Temple Pagoda was built during the reign of Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty. It was originally a cultural relic protection unit in Jiangsu Province. It is a square seven-story pavilion-style brick tower with a height of 35.36 meters. The top of the tower is a bronze cast gourd. The surface of the gourd is engraved with the characters "good weather, good weather, peace and prosperity for the country and the people". Although the Zhenguo Temple Pagoda has undergone several repairs, it still basically retains the architectural features of Tang Gu Mingfeng. When the Grand Canal was widened in 1956, the Baota Canal was diverted, leaving the ancient pagoda on the island in the center of the river, making the ancient pagoda a shining pearl on the Grand Canal. Now the Zhenguo Temple has been restored on the island for tourists to visit.

When the Grand Canal was widened in 1956, the canal was diverted to protect the tower. The tower was within the widened scope. In order to protect this precious cultural relic, Premier Zhou Enlai specially approved when approving the plan: Give way to protect the tower. The ancient pagoda on the island in the center of the river was left behind. Now the Zhenguo Temple has been restored on the island for tourists to visit and relax. In 1957, the tower was listed as the second batch of cultural relics protection units in Jiangsu Province. On March 25, 1982, the People's Government of Jiangsu Province re-announced the Zhenguo Temple Pagoda as a cultural relic protection unit in Jiangsu Province. On May 3, 2013, the Zhenguo Temple Pagoda was announced as the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

Basic introduction Chinese name: Zhenguo Temple Tower Foreign name: Gaoyou Zhenguo Temple Location: Middle of Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, Gaoyou City, Jiangsu Province Climate type: Subtropical warm monsoon climate Opening hours: Spring and summer 8:00-19: 30 Autumn and winter 8:00-18:00 Attraction level: AAA Ticket price: Free Famous attractions: Gaoyou Lake?, Zhenguo Temple, Jingtu Temple Pagoda, Pingjin Weir Site? Anle Temple, Jieshou Huguo Temple/Jile'an/Tathagata Ancient Wukong Temple, Guangfu Temple, Gaoyou, Jiangsu, Lingtang Mosque. Nickname: Big Wild Goose Pagoda in the South. Honor: National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. Date of construction: Tang Dynasty Xizong Period (874-888). Tower height: 35.36 meters. Tower shape: Square seven-story pavilion-style brick tower City: Gaoyou City, Jiangsu Province Country: China Recommended play time: 1-2 hours Suitable play season: Spring and summer Must-read before traveling, scenic spot news, scenic spot introduction, key information, honors, architectural structure , historical evolution, Tang Dynasty, Qing Dynasty, New China, main activities, architectural features, protection status, literary works, geographical location, honorary national honors: World Heritage National 3A-level tourist attraction, National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit, Architectural Structure, Zhenguo Temple Tower, It is located in the middle of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in Gaoyou City, Jiangsu Province, adjacent to Gaoyou City in the east and Gaoyou Lake in the west. Also known as the West Pagoda, it was first built during the Xizong period of the Tang Dynasty (874-888). The tower is a square seven-story pavilion-style brick tower with a height of 35.36 meters. The top of the tower is a bronze gourd. The surface of the gourd is engraved with the characters "good weather, good weather, peaceful country and people's peace". Although it has been repaired, it still basically retains the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty and is known as the "Big Wild Goose Pagoda of the South". Zhenguo Temple Pagoda, also called the West Pagoda, is located on the island in the middle of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in the southwest of Gaoyou City. Because it is located in the Ximen Bay of Gaoyou City, far opposite the Pure Land Temple Pagoda outside the east gate. It was also called the Empty Tower. In the 42nd year of Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty, a fire broke out in the pagoda. The floors on all levels were burned and the interior was burned to the ground, hence the name. The Zhenguo Temple Pagoda is also known as the Broken Pagoda. In the fifteenth year of Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty, a tornado occurred, hence the name. It is built in the style of a brick imitation pavilion, with seven square floors and a height of 32.8 meters. The top of the pagoda has an upright 2-meter-high reed copper spire. It is engraved with the Chinese characters "Good weather, good weather, peaceful country and people's peace". It is known as the "Southern Wild Goose Pagoda". The tower body of Zhenguo Temple Pagoda is entirely built with blue bricks, 25 meters high and square in plan.

The top of the tower is a four-cornered spire style, with a two-meter-high gourd-style copper spire standing upright on the top. There are north and south arches on the bottom floor, pagoda doors on the second to seventh floors, and small Buddhist niches on both sides. There are protruding semicircular brick columns on both sides of the three- to five-story pagoda doors, and there are stacked brick eaves between the layers. It clearly retains the architectural style of the ancient pagodas of the Tang Dynasty. Among the more than 600 ancient pagodas across the country, it is worthy of comparison. Called a leader. It is known as the "Big Wild Goose Pagoda of the South". Historical evolution Tang Dynasty The Zhenguo Temple Pagoda was built during the reign of Emperor Xizong (874-888) of the Tang Dynasty. Xizong Li Xuan had a younger brother. He probably saw through the world of mortals, so he left the palace and became a monk. He traveled around and visited famous temples. One day I walked to Gaoyou and saw a flat open space in the inner corner of the west gate. It was originally built as a pacific warehouse (i.e., a charity warehouse. When the grain was low, the price was raised to avoid hurting the farmers; when the grain was high, it was sold at a reduced price to benefit the poor). The foundation, the environment is quiet and beautiful. Here, leaning against Pingjin Weir in the west, there is a bank of smoked willow trees, lush greenery, the gurgling water of the canal, and the rolling snow waves of Zhuhu Lake. When you are immersed in the scene, your worldly thoughts and thoughts will suddenly disappear. Xizong's younger brother took a fancy to this place and asked his elder brother to build a temple here for him to practice chanting Buddha's name. Xizong agreed to his request and gave him the title of Zen Master Juzhi. Zen Master Juzhi accepted batch after batch of disciples and devoted himself to preaching scriptures and Buddhism. At dawn and midnight, the bells of Zhenguo Temple float over the ancient canal, clear and bright, melodious. After Master Juzhishan passed away, he was buried in a corner of the courtyard, and a five-level pagoda was erected to collect relics (bone ashes after cremation) and scriptures. This is the Zhenguo Temple Pagoda. It is said that someone later dug up the remains of Zen Master Ji Zhi in the Zhenguo Temple Pagoda. The bones were not separated, and they were connected like hooks and locks, emitting strange light. Perhaps this is a geomantic treasure land, or perhaps Zen Master Juzhi has reached his mastery of practice. People were very surprised, and it has been passed down as a strange story to this day. In the 42nd year of Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty, the pagoda caught fire. All the floors were burned and the interior was burned to the ground, so it was also called the "empty pagoda". The Zhenguo Temple Pagoda is also known as the Broken Pagoda. In the fifteenth year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty, a tornado struck and destroyed level three, hence the name. It was originally 9 floors. In the 15th year of Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty (1810), three floors were damaged by strong winds. In the 32nd year of Guangxu (1906), it was repaired to 7 floors, which is what it is today. In 1956, when the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was widened in New China, the Zhenguo Temple Pagoda should have been demolished. The relevant departments repeatedly and carefully studied it, and finally submitted it to the central government for approval (Comrade Zhou Enlai personally intervened), and decided to spend a lot of money to "give way to preserve the tower." There is a small island of nearly 40 acres in the middle of the canal, with the Zhenguo Temple Tower standing among it. The surrounding area of ​​the tower is filled with earth within a diameter of 100 meters and embankments are built to protect it, forming a small island in the canal. The tower bricks are built in a square plan. The seven floors of bricks in the tower are eighteen-style caissons, and wooden pillars are erected on the intersecting main beams until they reach the tower. The top of the tower is a pink-grey brick tower with four corners cut into spires, with a bowl on top, and a copper gourd brake top on top. Small Buddhist niches are built on both sides of the pagoda door on the 3rd to 7th floors. The outline generally preserves the style of the brick pagoda of the Tang Dynasty. The tall tower stands on the island, which is unique. In 1957, the tower was listed as the second batch of provincial cultural relics protection units. On March 25, 1982, the Provincial People's Government re-announced the Zhenguo Temple Pagoda as a provincial cultural relic protection unit. Main events: Gaoyou Zhenguo Temple Thousands of Monks Praying for Buddhist Prayer Assembly Gaoyou Zhenguo Temple Praying for Thousands of Chinese Monks: On April 20, 2014, Gaoyou Zhenguo Temple in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province held a grand ceremony for praying for China’s Thousands of Monks. The Executive Director of the Buddhist Association of China was invited to , Vice President of Jiangsu Buddhist Association, President of Yangzhou Buddhist Association, Master Nengxiu, abbot of Daming Temple in Yangzhou, Master Juewei, abbot of Shiwei Jingshe in Shanghai, Master Renfeng, abbot of Yongning Temple in Yancheng, Master Huihua, supervisor of Yancheng Yongning Temple Master Nengdu, the abbot of Yangzhou Wenfeng Temple, and five great masters presided over the Dharma assembly. More than 1,200 eminent monks from all over the world prayed for our great motherland and hundreds of millions of people. The abbot of Zhenguo Temple, Master Xinran, gave a welcome speech and then led the monks. The honor guards and representatives of the meritorious deities sincerely welcome Master Neng Xiu, the vice president of the Jiangsu Buddhist Association, the president of the Yangzhou Buddhist Association, and the abbot of Yangzhou Daming Temple, to come to the Main Hall to preach. Master Nengxiu was sitting on the Dharma throne after paying homage to the Buddha and offering incense. Master Xinran displayed his large instruments and bowed, and the four attendants displayed their vessels and bowed. A master who can practice law can explain the case and pray for blessings for China. More than 1,200 monks*** prayed for the meritorious masters of the fasting ceremony and all living beings, and prayed for the great motherland and hundreds of millions of people. After the Dharma meeting was completed, all the more than 1,200 monks and meritorious masters of the Dharma assembly held incense and walked around the town together. A week-long parade along the west embankment of the Guosi Canal was a spectacular sight. The parade stretched for several miles.

More than 6,000 meritorious devotees and believers from all over the country attended and supported the Dharma conference. Architectural Features: It was built in the Tang Dynasty (AD 874). When the Grand Canal was widened in 1956, the tower was within the widening range. In order to protect this precious cultural relic, Premier Zhou Enlai specially approved when approving the plan: Give way to protect the tower. To this end, the canal embankment was moved 52 meters eastward to preserve the thousand-year-old tower in the Grand Canal. While repairing the ancient pagoda, the temple layout of the town will be gradually restored, and tourist and entertainment facilities will be added to make it a new canal scenic spot. The Zhenguo Temple Pagoda is simple, dignified, elegant and spectacular, attracting countless tourists from north to south. Climbing the tower and looking into the distance, you will see the vast mist of Gaoyou Lake, the same color as water and sky, swarms of gulls, and dots of sailboats. The Zhenguo Temple Pagoda under the setting sun is even more elegant, and it is a colorful landscape painting: the afterglow of the setting sun dyes the canal water red, and the ancient pagoda reflects the beauty in the canal; the breeze rises suddenly, ripples Bursts, the ripples are red, bright, and moving, the shadow of the tower ripples in the wind, the shadow of the tower is also red, shining, and undulating... The sun slowly disappears on the distant lake. Around the ancient pagoda, there were noisy birds and black crows. Then gradually, it became quiet, and the ancient pagoda melted into the vast twilight... The Zhenguo Temple Pagoda is a bright pearl on the ancient canal, shooting from time to time. Let out the glorious glory of the Chinese nation’s long history and civilization. The Zhenguo Temple Tower is like a loyal and heroic guard, guarding the ancient city of Qinyou day and night; the Zhenguo Temple Tower is like an inquiring and honest elder, staring at guests from afar. The protection status is in the "Notice on Issuing the Introduction to the Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units" issued by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. The Grand Canal, as the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units, is the same as the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the sixth batch of national key cultural relics protection units. After merging, two heritage sites in Gaoyou City, the Zhenguosi Pagoda and the Pingjin Weir site, were included as an important part of the Grand Canal and became the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units. Professor Chen Congzhou, a famous ancient architecture and garden expert in literary works, in recent years I visited Gaoyou twice and visited the ancient pagoda twice. Each time I looked under the pagoda carefully and never wanted to leave. When I came to Gaoyou for the first time, I immediately recited the poem "Gaoyou Zhenguo Temple Pagoda" on the ferry: It's still too late to look back on the return journey. The setting sun of the ancient pagoda is the setting sun and I think about it. I don't hesitate to have another autumn wave. It's suitable for both water and land. In the writings of Professor Cong Zhou, the Zhenguo Temple Pagoda has a unique charm. It has affected the emotions of many poets and poets, and attracted many moving paintings and songs. Geographical location Zhenguo Temple Tower is located on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in Gaoyou City, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province.