Tianfeng Pagoda- Ningbo, China

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The tower is very tall!
One of my favorite things about Ningbo is that even though it is a modern city, there are buildings and structures with significant history nestled in between the skyscrapers. On our Sunday afternoon walk, we came upon one of them- the Tianfeng Pagoda. This seven-story tower was originally built in 695 A.D. during the Tang dynasty. During construction, sand was piled up in the area to make construction easier. Surrounding the tower, there is a "big sand" street and "little sand" street referring to these sand piles.  It was partially destroyed during war in 1128 and rebuilt in the Song dynasty in 1144, and the architectural style and features reflect more of the Song dynasty. Since then, there have been numerous fires and other damage to the building. In 1984, the pagoda was tilting precariously so they restored to its former glory and appearance. Not apparent from first glance, the tower has six more levels hidden underground. It was used as a navigation mark for the Mingzhou port anciently and as a city landmark in the modern era. 
Stone tablets near the tower entrance
The tower itself was not open when we went by, but that didn't stop us from walking around it and appreciating the history. There were stone tablets out front that of course, we had no idea how to read, but they looked cool! I'm quickly finding that it would be really nice to travel in China with someone who knows how to read/speak Mandarin. Any takers?

Stone tablet detail

TALL tower

Bronze thing found inside the tower
This bronze thing was found in the tower when they remodeled it in 1984. Beyond that, I have no idea what it is. I think it would have been so cool to be part of the restoration crew, finding all sorts of treasures from thousands of years ago in the walls and floors of this tower!
Roof detail with animals protecting the roof!

Comments

  1. robinlyJuly 15, 2015 at 9:55 PM

    I know a family who would 100% take you up on the offer to travel China with you guys and translate for you!

    ReplyDelete

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