Longhua Monastery, Longhua Pagoda  龍華寺龍華塔

Building Information

Longhua Pagoda is the oldest pagoda in Shanghai (Chen 2012, 36), and is said to contain Buddhist relics (Bai 2015, 148). According to legend, the original site was built by Sun Quan, Emperor of the Wu Kingdom, in the tenth year of the Chiwu reign period (247 CE), in honor of his mother (Chen 2012, 36). The pagoda was destroyed between 874-881, and it was rebuilt in 977 under the Wu-Yue Kingdom (Chen 2012, 36). The current Longhua Pagoda is a seven-story brick structure, 40.4 meters high, with an octagonal plan (Ren 2002, 377). It is a tower-style pagoda composed of a base, body, and a shaft (Bai 2015, 150). Each story has a timber-balustraded balcony and upturned wooden eaves cantilevered from its central brick body. The interior of the pagoda is square and the size of the interior decreases from bottom to top (Bai 2015, 150).

Sources cited by Chen Haimin suggest that the Longhua Pagoda was believed to have magical powers (Chen 2012, 36). Firstly, the Yunjian zhilue (1624) states that “the pagoda is the peak (handle) of a writing brush, if repaired (maintained) then many in the community will pass the imperial examinations (Chen 2012, 36).” Secondly, according to the Longhua Monastery written in the Kangxi reign period (1662-1723), the Longhua Pagoda “had repeatedly displayed divine good fortune, at times emitting a bright light, which had an extraordinarily defensive affect (Chen 2012, 36).” Thirdly, according to the "Longhuasi sheli ji" written in the Guangxu reign period, people believed that, "perhaps because of the benevolence of the Buddha, the pagoda attracted divine dragons, who frolicked around it. Thus, people living in the vicinity of the pagoda were able to harness their natural resources (water and earth) and no illness would survive within them. The pagoda [thus] brought benefit to both people and things and was sincerely the "treasure pagoda" of the area (Chen 2012, 36)”.

龍華塔是上海地區最古老的寶塔 (陳 2012, 36), 被用來存放佛家舍利 (白 2015, 148)。相傳孫權建此塔來報答母親，後於北宋太平興國二年(977)重建 (陳 2012, 36)。龍華塔有七層，塔身有八面，是一座磚身木簷樓閣式塔 (任 2002, 37)。塔總高40. 40米 (任 2002, 377)。龍華塔是中國閣樓式佛塔的代表，由塔基、塔身、塔剎組成 (白 2015, 150)。龍華塔內壁是方型的(白 2015, 150)。塔的底層高大，每層的大小逐層向上收縮(白 2015, 150)。塔的建造運用了木結構懸挑技術並使用了木過梁、木斗拱 (陳 2012, 37)。距陳海民引用文獻記載，古人認為龍華塔有三大神奇之處 (陳 2012, 36)。第一，根據《雲間志略》(1624)，“塔為文筆峰，修之則邑中多中式者。(陳 2012, 36)”第二， 根據清康熙《龍華寺》記：“比來屢開神瑞，時放光明，得非常守護故也。(陳 2012, 36)”第三，根據光緒《龍華寺舍利記》，“蓋因佛慈廣大，惟此舍利寶塔能聚無量無數神龍，變化隱形，繞塔而樂。。。故五方人民，來到此地，皆能服其水土，百病不生，利人利物，誠為一方之寶塔也” (陳 2012, 36)。

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