Structure
TheWhiteElephantPagodaisabrick-woodstructurewithsixsidesandsevenfloors,pavilionstyle.Viewedfromtheelevation,itiscomposedofabase,atowerbody,andatowerbrake.Viewedfromtheplane,itisdividedintothreeparts:thecenterofthetower,theouterwall,andthecorridor.Therearesub-levelsonthegroundfloor.Thisdesignimitatesthesub-levelsystemofthepalacebuilding,whichisconvenientforboardingandresting.Timberwaisteaves,flatseats,andrailingsareprotrudedfromtheouterlayerofthetower.Oneachside,thereareconcealedpillarsandleaningpillars,formingathree-roomstyle.IntheMingDynasty,thereisadoororaBuddhistniche,andtheBuddhastatueisinside.Frombottomtotop,theheightofeachlayerdecreasessuccessively,thediameterconvergessuccessively,andtheshapeistallandgraceful.Thegroundfloorhasadoorononesideandabuilt-inwoodenladder,whichgraduallymovestotheseventhfloor.Lookingfromadistance,onesceneonthefirstfloor,itmakespeoplefeelhappy.Theeavesarewide,thewinganglesarereversed,andthesoundofwindduoiscrisp,andthesoundtravelstenmiles.
Maintenance
Inthe1960s,theWhiteElephantTowerwastilted1.98meters,andthereweremanycracksonthethirdandfourthfloors.Thewallofthetowerwasseverelydenudedandwasindanger,anditwasimpossibletore-enhanceitformaintenance.In1964,withtheapprovaloftheZhejiangProvincialCulturalRelicsDepartment,itwasdecidedtodemolish.InFebruary1965,therelevantdepartmentsoftheprovincesandcitiesformedtheTowerDemolitionCommittee.TheprojectwaspresidedoverbyZhuBoqianoftheProvincialCulturalManagementCommittee.ThefieldworkendedattheendofAprilofthesameyearandlastedmorethantwomonths.Alargenumberofculturalrelicswerefoundinthedemolitionofeachlayer,andtheywerehiddeninthesquarebrickcellar(Tiangong)ofthetowerwall.Accordingtotherecordsofthearchaeologicalsite,thereare1pieceseachoftheNorthernSongDynastyironpagoda,coveredbowl,andcoveredplateontheseventhflooroftheculturalrelicsinthetower.Noculturalrelicshavebeenfoundonthesixthfloor.Onthefifthfloor,thereare177coppercoinsfromXianpingandChongning,1"LotusSutra"oftheRepublicofChina,and2"MahayanaLotusSutra".Onthefourthfloor,thereare1pieceoftheRepublicofChinacoloredporcelainteapot,1pieceofblueandwhiteporcelainvase(remnant),and2piecesofNorthernSongDynastyinscriptionbricks.Onthethirdfloor,thereare2NorthernSongDynastyPotteryandSculptureBodhisattvas'heads,2ClaySculpturesandPaintedBodhisattvas,4BrickCarvings,and2VermilionInscriptionBricks.Thesecondfloorandthefirstfloor(includingtheplatformbase)aretheplaceswhereculturalrelicsaremostconcentrated,accountingformorethan90%ofthetotalnumberofculturalrelicsfoundinthetower.Amongthem,theNorthernSongDynastyclaysculpturepaintedbodhisattvas,heavenlykings,magnates,performers,andstellarstatueswerethemost,followedbyNorthernSonglacquerware,brickcarvings,woodcarvings,celadon,bronzes,scriptureprinting,scripturewriting,paintings,andTangandSongcoins.Thestrangethingisthattheundergroundpalaceisemptyandmayhavebeenstolenearly.
InthesecondandthirdfloorsoftheWhiteElephantPagoda,fiveredinscriptionbricksof"JuneoftheFiveYearsofZhenghe(1115)"werefound,whichwerethecoverbricksofthesquarebrickcellar(Tiangong),andtheforemanofthetowerwasrecordedonit.,Thenameanddateofthecraftsman,providedefinitiveevidenceforthetimewhenthetowerwasbuilt.
Withthecontinuouschangesofthetimes,theonce-busyTanghegavewaytoNantangAvenue,andtherewasaprosperousscenewithcarscomingandgoing.Thetowerisbuiltintheprosperousage,andthetowerisintheprosperousage.Zhulanbluetiles,flyingcornicesandslantedcorners.ThereareBuddhastatuesonthewallsofeachfloorinthetower,withdifferentposturesanddifferentmeanings,permeatingdeepBuddhistconcepts.Thespiralstaircaseinsidethetowerturnstotheseventhfloor.Lookingdown,theTangRivermeandersfromsouthtonorth,andbranchesgrowinglikebranchessurroundthevillagefields.Thefields,houses,andtreesunderneatharealsoinaharmonioustone,andthebeautifullandscapemakespeoplefeelhappy.
Otherrelated
Relics:Forty-fiveyearslater,theywillshinebrightlyagain
TherearetwoculturalrelicsoftheWhiteElephantPagodaPlacestogo,oneistheZhejiangProvincialMuseumandtheotheristheWenzhouMuseum.Therearetwonationaltreasuresofthesemorethanonethousandculturalrelics.TheyaretwoverticalcoloredsculpturesofBodhisattva.Theyareknownasthe"OrientalVenus"becauseoftheirbeautifulshapes.OneisthetreasureofZhejiangMuseumandtheotherisWenboThetreasureofthetownhall.Therearehundredsoffirst-andsecond-classculturalrelics.TheWhiteElephantPagodaisacornucopiaofBuddhistculturalrelicsoftheNorthernSongDynastyinChina.Judgingfromtheexquisitenessoftheculturalrelicsfoundinthepagoda,sincetheSongDynasty,thispagodashouldhaveahighstatusinWenzhou,butforsomereasontherearefewhistoricalrecords,letalonetheFufengFamenTempleinShaanxi,whichhasbeenwrittensincetheTangDynasty.ItrecordsthatthereareBuddharelicsunderthepagodapalace.
Itwasdiscoveredthatthesmallwoodenpagodaoftherelicwasunearthedonthefirstfloorofthepagoda.Atthattime,3pieceswereunearthed,andtherearetwopiecesinexistencetoday.Thetopconsistsofthreeparts,oneis6.1cmhigh,andthereliccomesfromthissmallpagoda,andtheotheris3.9cmhigh.Thewoodenpagodaisexquisitelymade.ItcanbeseenthatthecarreeltechnologyintheNorthernSongDynastywasrelativelymature.
TherelicisakindofgranularcrystalafterthebodycremationoftheBuddhistmonkafterhisdeath.ItisasacredobjectofBuddhism.TherelicofthemonkandBuddhaisextremelyrare.Forexample,thePanchenLamaofTibetanBuddhismintheQingDynastyofferedlivingBuddharelicstoKangxi.However,therelicsofmonksandbuddhasafterpassingawayaregenerallyveryunlikelytoappear,soitisoftendifficulttomeettheworshipneedsinthepagoda.TherelicsofSakyamunienshrinedinFamenTemple,theemperoroftheTangDynastyinvitedfromtheundergroundpalacetothepalaceforafewdayseveryfewyears,andthensentitback.Thewelcomeceremonywasextremelygrand.SincetheTangandSongDynasties,relicshavebeenpopularinthepagoda,butbecausethenumberofrelicsisverysmall,theycanalsobereplacedbytreasuressuchasgoldandsilver.However,theBaixiangPagoda,whichwasbuiltintheNorthernSongDynasty,iscomparedwithanotherXianyanHuiguangPagodainWenzhou,wherealargenumberoftreasureswereunearthed.Thelatterhasunearthedalargenumberofraretreasures,suchasgoldenbottleswithlids,giltandsilvertowers,glassbottles,andJingbao.Accordingtothematerials,theculturalrelicsunearthedfromtheWhiteElephantPagodaincludeironware,copperware(coppercoins),porcelain,woodware,lacquerware,scripturescrolls,paintings,statuesandstonecarvings.Therearealmostnopreciousgoldandsilverwareandglassware.ButjudgingfromtherediscoveryofrelicsintheWhiteElephantPagodainthecollection,itcannotberuledoutthatsomeoftheexposedgoldandsilverwareshavebeenlostafterpreviousrepairs.RegardingtheageoftherelicsoftheWhiteElephantPagoda,expertsintheForbiddenCitybelievethatitwillnotbelaterthantheSongDynasty.ThediscoveryofrelicsfromtheWhiteElephantPagodaisalsosufficienttoprovethestatusandprosperityofWenzhouBuddhismintheSongDynasty.
TherelicsdiscoveredbyaccidentthistimereflectthediversityofWenzhousocietyandcultureatthattime,andprovideimportantmaterialevidencefortheinterpretationofWenzhou’sphenomenonofBuddhismandConfucianism.
(TheauthorofthisarticleisthedirectoroftheWenzhouMuseum’sExhibitionandEducationDepartment)organizedanduploadedbyhan85380173)