The primary pagoda of the former Yunyan Temple, which was founded in 327 and rebuilt for the last time in 1871. The temple suffered damage in successive wars and most of the temple was destroyed during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Some elements of the temple such as the formal entrance, the Yunyan Pagoda, and several other buildings and smaller shrines have survived, and now stand as landmarks throughout Tiger Hill Park.
Construction of the pagoda began in 907 CE, during the later period of the Five Dynasties period, at a time when Suzhou was ruled by the Wuyue Kingdom. Construction was completed in 961 CE during the Song Dynasty.[2]
The uppermost stories of the pagoda were built as an addition during the reign of the Chongzhen Emperor (1628–1644), the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty.[3]
Description
The Yunyan Pagoda rises to a height of 47 m (154 ft). The pagoda has seven stories and is octagonal in plan, and was built with a masonry structure designed to imitate wooden-structured pagodas prevalent at the time.
Leaning tower
The base of the pagoda, with visible leaning (2009)
In more than a thousand years the pagoda has gradually slanted due to forces of nature. Now the top and bottom of the tower vary by 2.32 meters. The entire structure weighs some 7,000,000 kilograms (15,000,000 lb), supported by internal brick columns.[3] However, the pagoda leans roughly 3 degrees due to the cracking of two supporting columns.[3]
The pagoda leans because the foundation is originally half rock and the other half is on soil. In 1957, efforts were made to stabilize the pagoda and prevent further leaning. Concrete was also pumped into the soil forming a stronger foundation.
During the reinforcement process, a stone casket containing Buddhist scriptures was found. The container had an inscription noting the completion date of the pagoda as the seventeenth day of the twelfth month of the second year of the Jianlong era (961 CE).
Ingles, O.G. (1982). "Impressions of a Civil Engineer in China". The Australian Journal of Chinese Affairs (7): 141–150. doi:10.2307/2158828. JSTOR 2158828. S2CID 111796577.
tiger, hill, pagoda, huqiu, pagoda, chinese, 虎丘塔, pinyin, hǔqiūtǎ, suzhou, chieu, thaeh, chinese, tɕʰʏ, tʰɑʔ, officially, yunyan, pagoda, chinese, 云岩寺塔, pinyin, yúnyánsìtǎ, suzhou, yuin, thaeh, chinese, ɦʏn, tʰɑʔ, chinese, pagoda, situated, tiger, hill, huqiu,. The Tiger Hill Pagoda or Huqiu Pagoda Chinese 虎丘塔 pinyin Hǔqiutǎ Suzhou Wu Hou chieu thaeh Wu Chinese hou tɕʰʏ tʰɑʔ officially the Yunyan Pagoda 1 Chinese 云岩寺塔 pinyin Yunyansitǎ Suzhou Wu Yuin nge zy thaeh Wu Chinese ɦʏn ŋe zz tʰɑʔ is a Chinese pagoda situated on Tiger Hill Huqiu in Suzhou city Jiangsu Province of Eastern China It is nicknamed the Leaning Tower of China 1 Yunyan PagodaThe pagoda as viewed from the Tiger HillYunyan Pagoda in October 1921 Contents 1 History 2 Description 2 1 Leaning tower 3 Present day 4 Notes 5 See also 5 1 ReferencesHistory EditThe primary pagoda of the former Yunyan Temple which was founded in 327 and rebuilt for the last time in 1871 The temple suffered damage in successive wars and most of the temple was destroyed during the Second Sino Japanese War Some elements of the temple such as the formal entrance the Yunyan Pagoda and several other buildings and smaller shrines have survived and now stand as landmarks throughout Tiger Hill Park Construction of the pagoda began in 907 CE during the later period of the Five Dynasties period at a time when Suzhou was ruled by the Wuyue Kingdom Construction was completed in 961 CE during the Song Dynasty 2 The uppermost stories of the pagoda were built as an addition during the reign of the Chongzhen Emperor 1628 1644 the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty 3 Description EditThe Yunyan Pagoda rises to a height of 47 m 154 ft The pagoda has seven stories and is octagonal in plan and was built with a masonry structure designed to imitate wooden structured pagodas prevalent at the time Leaning tower Edit The base of the pagoda with visible leaning 2009 In more than a thousand years the pagoda has gradually slanted due to forces of nature Now the top and bottom of the tower vary by 2 32 meters The entire structure weighs some 7 000 000 kilograms 15 000 000 lb supported by internal brick columns 3 However the pagoda leans roughly 3 degrees due to the cracking of two supporting columns 3 The pagoda leans because the foundation is originally half rock and the other half is on soil In 1957 efforts were made to stabilize the pagoda and prevent further leaning Concrete was also pumped into the soil forming a stronger foundation During the reinforcement process a stone casket containing Buddhist scriptures was found The container had an inscription noting the completion date of the pagoda as the seventeenth day of the twelfth month of the second year of the Jianlong era 961 CE Present day EditThe Yunyan Pagoda is a designated Major National Historical and Cultural Site in Jiangsu As of September 2010 public access to the top of the tower is no longer allowed citation needed Notes Edit a b Ingles 1982 p 144 Tiger Hill Hu Qiu Suzhou a b c Ingles 1982 p 145See also Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yunyan Pagoda Song Dynasty architecture Major national historical and cultural sites Jiangsu References Edit Ingles O G 1982 Impressions of a Civil Engineer in China The Australian Journal of Chinese Affairs 7 141 150 doi 10 2307 2158828 JSTOR 2158828 S2CID 111796577 31 20 17 N 120 34 35 E 31 33806 N 120 57639 E 31 33806 120 57639 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tiger Hill Pagoda amp oldid 1162052474, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
