🏯 Xiangtangshan Scenic Area – White Pagoda
📜 Historical Evolution
- Original Construction: The White Pagoda was originally built during the Yuanyou period of the Northern Song Dynasty (1086–1094), over 930 years ago, making it one of the oldest surviving above-ground Buddhist structures within the Xiangtangshan Grottoes cultural circle.
- Historical Context: Its construction is closely linked to the flourishing of Beixiangtang Temple (Changle Monastery). Built in the Song Dynasty by monks to enshrine relics and preserve the Buddhist lineage established during the Northern Qi Dynasty, it belongs to the typical Han Chinese Buddhist dense-eave brick pagoda system.
- Subsequent Repairs: Major renovations were carried out on the tower body and base during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1573–1620); partial repairs are recorded from the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. In 2006, it was designated by the State Council as a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit—sixth batch, recognized as an affiliated cultural heritage site of the Xiangtangshan Grottoes. In 2019, emergency reinforcement and lightning protection works were completed to ensure structural safety.
🏗️ Architectural Features
- Form and Dimensions: A seven-story, eight-sided dense-eave solid brick pagoda standing approximately 38.5 meters tall. The base features a Vaisravana-style pedestal with carved lotus petals and scrolling vine patterns on the waist section, reflecting the refined aesthetic of the Song Dynasty.
- Structural Craftsmanship:
- The tower tapers upward layer by layer, with brick-carved wooden-style dougong brackets (five-pu zuo, double-overhang) beneath each eave; the bracket panels feature inscribed figures of flying apsaras and Garuda birds, representing Buddhist themes;
- The southern side of the first story has a semicircular archway entrance, with a relief carving of two dragons playing with a pearl on the lintel; inside the doorway lies a Buddha niche (originally housing a seated statue of Sakyamuni Buddha; today only a fragment of a Ming Dynasty stone halos remains);
- Each story’s eaves extend via corbelled bricks, with corner rafters hanging wind chimes (four iron chimes from the Qing Dynasty remain); when the breeze passes through, their lingering tones evoke deep serenity.
- Unique Details: The pagoda’s summit features a glazed blue-gray ceramic urn-shaped spire. At its base lies a commemorative brick inscribed with “Built in the 7th year of Dà Sòng Yuányóu” (now housed in the Fengfeng Mining District Museum), serving as crucial physical evidence for dating the structure.
📜 Cultural and Artistic Significance
- Model of Song Dynasty Brick Carving: The pagoda preserves 12 complete Buddhist narrative brick carvings, including themes such as “Prince’s Four Gates Tour” and “Defeating the Demons and Achieving Enlightenment,” showcasing refined carving techniques and fluid drapery in figures, representative of typical Northern Song Central Plains sculptural style.
- Treasure of Calligraphy: A fragment of the Northern Song-era Record of the Rebuilding of the White Pagoda is embedded on the eastern wall of the second story (excavated in 1982). Written in formal regular script, it records: “Monk Zhiyuan of Changle Chan Monastery initiated fundraising for construction,” confirming the pagoda’s institutional connection to Beixiangtang’s Changle Temple.
- Cultural Stratification: Fragments of Northern Qi gray pottery, Tang Dynasty copper coins, and Song Dynasty ceramic shards discovered in the foundation’s rammed earth layers confirm this site’s continuous role as a religious center from the Northern Qi through the Song Dynasties.
🌟 Cultural Importance
- Continuity of Grotto Spirit: Though an above-ground structure, the White Pagoda shares thematic iconography and spatial layout with Cave No. 2 (Sakyamuni Cave) and Cave No. 3 (Scripture-Carving Cave) of Beixiangtang Grottoes, forming a cohesive “cave–pagoda–temple” triad that narrates Buddhist spatial practice.
- Symbol of Local Faith: Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, locals have referred to it as the “Mountain-Protecting Pagoda.” Every year on the 18th day of the fourth lunar month (Buddha’s Birthday), a temple fair is held, drawing continuous pilgrims and establishing it as a vital folk religious landmark in southern Hebei.
- Academic Benchmark: As a rare early Northern Song dense-eave pagoda in North China, it provides irreplaceable physical evidence for studying Song Dynasty Buddhist architectural systems, brickwork technology, and the transmission of Buddhism across the Yan-Zhao region.
🚶♂️ Travel Information
- Location: Within the Xiangtangshan Scenic and Historic Area, Hecun Town, Fengfeng Mining District, Handan City, Hebei Province, adjacent to the core area of Beixiangtang Grottoes (approximately 800 meters on foot).
- Opening Hours:
- Daily: 8:00–17:30 (last entry at 17:00)
- Open year-round (closed one day on Lunar New Year’s Eve)
- Ticket Policy:
- Admission to the White Pagoda is included in the Xiangtangshan Grottoes Combined Ticket, priced at ¥60 per person (covers Beixiangtang Grottoes, White Pagoda, and ruins of Changle Temple);
- Free admission for visitors aged 60 and above, children under 1.2 meters, and active-duty military personnel with valid identification;
- Half-price tickets (¥30) offered every Wednesday to all national visitors.
- Visitor Tips:
- The White Pagoda is a solid structure and not open for climbing; we recommend walking around to appreciate the intricate brick carvings on the base and the artistic details of each eave corner;
- We strongly recommend visiting in conjunction with Beixiangtang Grottoes (especially the Northern Qi Scripture-Carving Cave and Sakyamuni Cave) to fully grasp the complete religious practice sequence: grotto excavation → temple construction → pagoda veneration;
- Professional guided tours are available onsite (¥80 per session, including dedicated White Pagoda commentary); reservations can be made through certified guides accredited by the Fengfeng Mining District Culture and Tourism Bureau.
- Transportation Guide:
- By car: Navigate to “Xiangtangshan Grottoes Visitor Center”; the scenic area features an eco-friendly parking lot (¥5 per visit);
- Public transit: Take a bus from Handan Passenger Transport Center to “Hecun” on the “Handan–Hecun” route, alighting directly at the Xiangtangshan stop.
🌿 Visitor Reminder: After enduring over nine centuries of weathering, the pagoda’s bricks show localized efflorescence. Please refrain from touching the carved surfaces. Practice respectful viewing and help preserve this timeless monument of Song-era tranquility.