An Guo Temple Sutra Pillars in Yanguan, Haining, Zhejiang

The An Guo Temple Sutra Pillars are arranged in a triangular formation facing east, west, and south. They were built in the second year of the Huichang era (842), the fourth year of the Huichang era (844), and the sixth year of the Xiantong era (865) during the Tang Dynasty, respectively. All three pillars are made of stone, with the one built in the sixth year of the Xiantong era being the most exquisite. It is octagonal in shape and about 7 meters high. The base is in the form of a Sumeru pedestal, with a stone slab, two short columns, railings, and an upward-facing lotus on top. Above this, an upward-facing lotus supports the pillar body, which is topped with a canopy, waist eaves, upward-facing lotus, and a jewel. The waist eaves imitate wooden structures, with carved brackets under the eaves, deep eaves, and upturned corners. Among them, the southern pillar is the most exquisite, standing about 7 meters high, with a total of 19 layers from the base to the top, all in an octagonal shape. The pillar built in the second year of the Huichang era is 5.8 meters high, with a Sumeru pedestal base and two short columns and overlapping stone slabs on top. The pillar built in the fourth year of the Huichang era is 6.2 meters high, with a Sumeru pedestal base and two short columns and overlapping stone slabs on top. On May 25, 2006, the An Guo Temple Sutra Pillars were listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit by the State Council of the People's Republic of China.