LEIFENG PAGODA
The Leifeng Pagoda stands proudly on the bank of West Lake. Its legend is about the love between a white snake and a mortal man: Long ago, there were two snakes—one white and one blue—who, thanks to their supernatural powers, transformed into beautiful women. One day, while they were walking by West Lake, it began to rain, and a scholar offered them his umbrella on the Broken Bridge. The white snake fell in love with the man at first sight, and they were soon married. An evil monk was not happy about this; he tried to separate the young couple and locked them in the tower’s prison.
According to authentic historical records, the building was constructed in 977 during the Wuyue Kingdom, and a lock of hair from Sakyamuni Buddha was kept inside. Other sources suggest that the king commissioned its construction to celebrate the pregnancy of his favorite consort, which is why many people refer to the pagoda as Huangfei after her.
During the Ming Dynasty, pirates set it on fire, completely destroying the tower’s wooden structure; only the brick framework remained. Over the years, people took the building materials away because they believed the stones would protect them from evil spirits. As a result of their hard work, the pagoda collapsed in 1924. The government decided to rebuild it in 2000, and it was opened to the public in 2002.
During the Ming Dynasty, pirates set it on fire, completely destroying the tower’s wooden structure; only the brick framework remained. Over the years, people took the building materials away because they believed the stones would protect them from evil spirits. As a result of their hard work, the pagoda collapsed in 1924. The government decided to rebuild it in 2000, and it was opened to the public in 2002.
An uninformed visitor would assume they were looking at the original building. One thing that raises some suspicion is that an escalator leads up to the tower at the top of the hill, which is not common even in China.
In the basement of the octagonal, 72-meter-tall pagoda, you can view the remains of the original building, and you can also take an elevator up to the top floor.
The ruins of the old pagoda
Each floor features themed decorations. The first floor above ground presents the legend of the White Snake; the next floor shows the construction of the tower; and then we see writings related to the pagoda. The next level introduces visitors to the 10 most important landmarks of West Lake, and the dome consists of 2,002 small gold-plated shrines, each containing a gold-plated tower.
The dome of the pagoda
From the upper floors, we can admire the panoramic view. West Lake and the Jingci Temple sitting on the hillside appear before us. If we want to watch the sunset, there’s no better spot than the Leifeng Pagoda.
July, 2018
