Flying Road Pagoda
| Feilu Pagoda | |
|---|---|
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 Feilu Pagoda with its cultural relic protection stele | |
 Interactive map of Feilu Pagoda | |
| Location |  China Southeast of Beiyang Village, Yantian She Ethnic Township, Xiapu County, Ningde, Fujian Province |
| Coordinates | 26°53′27.49″N 119°54′51.23″E / 26.8909694°N 119.9142306°E |
| Built | 1374 (Ming dynasty, Hongwu era) |
| Rebuilt | 2003 (after destruction in Cultural Revolution) |
Error: Invalid designation | |
| Official name | Eighth batch of Fujian Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units |
| Designated | 28 January 2013 |
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| Designated | 2010 |
Feilu Pagoda (Chinese: 飞路塔; also Feilu Tower) is a Ming-dynasty stone stupa-like image tower located in Xiapu County, Ningde, Fujian Province, China. Built in 1374 by followers of Manichaeism (known locally as Mingjiao), it is one of the few surviving Manichaean structures in Xiapu County and is regarded as an important site for the study of Chinese Manichaeism. The original tower was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, but was rebuilt by local villagers in 2003. It was designated a county-level cultural relic in 2010 and elevated to provincial-level protection in 2013.[1]
History
[edit]According to inscriptions on the tower, Feilu Pagoda was constructed in the sixth year of the Hongwu era (1374) by local Manichaean believers. Although the Hongwu Emperor had issued edicts prohibiting Mingjiao, the inscriptions show that open fundraising for the project still took place, indicating the religion retained a significant following in the area.[2]
The tower stood for nearly 600 years until it was demolished during the Cultural Revolution; its components were scattered. In 2003, villagers recovered the original stone pieces from the mountains and rebuilt the tower on its original site, adding a concrete shelter and surrounding wall for protection.[3]
During the third national cultural relics survey (2007–2011), Feilu Pagoda was identified and recognised as a Manichaean monument. Along with the nearby Three Buddha Pagodas behind the Pagoda, it was designated a county-level protected relic in 2010 and a provincial-level cultural relic in 2013.[1]
Architecture
[edit]Feilu Pagoda is a single-storey, four-sided stone image tower made of granite. It stands 3 metres tall on a 0.95 m high base. The niche is inscribed “飞路塔四洲佛” (Feilu Pagoda – Buddha of the Four Continents). The flanking pillars bear couplets very similar to those at Cao'an in Jinjiang. The interior originally contained three shallow-relief Buddha images; the central figure (identified as Mani as the Buddha of Light) stands 0.6 m tall, while the flanking figures are 0.4 m. The head of the central image was damaged and later repaired with cement. The incense burner in front is called the “Heaven and Earth Censer”.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Fujian Provincial Government (2013-01-28). "《福建省人民政府关于公布第八批省级文物保护单位名单和保护范围的通知》（闽政〔2013〕9号）". Archived from the original on 2022-08-11.
- ^ Yang Fuxue; Li Xiaoyan; Peng Xiaojing (2018-03-31). "福建摩尼教遗存踏查之主要收获" [Main Findings from the Survey of Manichaean Relics in Fujian]. Silk Roads Heritage (in Chinese). Chengdu: Sichuan University Press. pp. 259–271. ISSN 1006-1312. Archived from the original on 2024-07-18.
- ^ 周秋琦 (2014). 宁德古建筑. Fuzhou: Fujian People's Publishing House. pp. 94–96. ISBN 978-7-211-07042-8.
