The
Six Harmonies (Liuhe) Pagoda lies in Yuelun Hill on the
north bank of the Qiantang River in Hangzhou, Zhejiang
Province. The name "six harmonies" comes from
the six Buddhist ordinances, meaning "harmonies of
the heaven, earth, north, south, east, and west".
The pagoda was first built in 970 AD by the King of Wuyue
State, who intended to demonstrate his authority by conquering
the evil of the river tidal bore of the Qiantang River.
The pagoda fell into ruins and went through reconstruction
many times before being listed as one of the key national
cultural heritages in 1961.
Commanding
a spectacular view of the surging Qiantang River, the
pagoda presents a quiet image of age-old majesty. The
original pagoda has nine stories with a light on the top,
which serves as a navigation tower. In 1156, the pagoda
experienced a large-scale restoration. The artisans used
carved bricks when reconstructing the inside of the pagoda.
By the end of the Qing Dynasty, the upturned wooden multi-eaves
and wrapping structure was added to the pagoda and, in
the eyes of the people, presented the soul and labor of
ancient Chinese. The pagoda we see today is an octagonal
structure 200 feet tall. Seen from the outside, the pagoda
has the appearance of a 13-story building; in actuality,
there are only seven stories.
The
Six Harmonies Pagoda is definitely a masterpiece of ancient
Chinese architecture that continually attracts visitors
both home and abroad. Visitors here may be shocked and
entertained not only by the long and splendid history
of China but also the arts of Chinese calligraphy and
seal-cutting. There are various sorts of stone tablets
and stone statues both inside and out of the pagoda, left
over from the past times. One may see relics such as a
minister's tablet, a Buddhist scripture tablet, a god
statue, a poem inscription, and similar artifacts from
different dynasties. Moreover, the Center of Ancient Chinese
Pagodas has opened near the pagoda. It features all kinds
of the ancient pagodas erected in the different areas
and different dynasties. One will have an appreciation
of the quintessence of ancient Chinese pagodas.
Admission Fee: 30
Bus Route: 308, 504
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