The Pagoda that Suppresses the River Demon - The Six Harmonies Pagoda that has guarded the Qiantang River for a thousand years

Autumn is the best time to climb the tower and look far away The Six Harmonies Pagoda, located on the north bank of the Qiantang River, is one of the best preserved brick and wood structures in China, along with the Leifeng Pagoda and the Baochu Pagoda. It is known as one of the three towers of Hangzhou. There is a saying among the people that 'Leifeng is like an old monk, Baochu is like a beauty, and Liuhe is like a general' Although the Six Harmonies Pagoda is not as famous nationwide as the Leifeng Pagoda, its architectural history is even longer Since the tower was built in the third year of the Kaibao period of the Northern Song Dynasty and rebuilt in the Southern Song Dynasty, it has been damaged by war several times, but the main brick tower has never been destroyed. It is the most important Song Dynasty building in Hangzhou, marking the level of architectural technology and art of the Song Dynasty 'The Pagoda that Suppresses the River Demon' - This phrase actually summarizes the origin of the Six Harmonies Pagoda to the greatest extent. According to folklore, there was a river demon in the Qiantang River that caused trouble for the people every year. During the reign of Zhao Kuangyin of the Northern Song Dynasty, King Qian Hongchu of Wuyue, on the advice of two Zen masters, Yanshou and Zanning, built a pagoda here to suppress the river demon. The phrase 'The Heavenly King covers the earth tiger, the pagoda suppresses the river demon' originated here. The 'Six Harmonies' of the Six Harmonies Pagoda comes from the six harmonious respects of Buddhism, which means six kinds of rules - seeing and understanding together, observing and practicing together, living together, speaking without quarrel, intending and enjoying together, and benefiting and sharing equally. It is also called the Liuhe Tower, where Liuhe refers to the east, south, west, and north, plus heaven and earth, which means the four directions of heaven and earth. When you visit the Six Harmonies Pagoda, there are several highlights: (1) The architectural style of the Song Dynasty: The Six Harmonies Pagoda is 59.89 meters high, with a brick body and a wooden structure on the outside. It has 13 layers on eight sides, with a total of 104 iron bells hanging on each corner of the eaves. The interior of the tower, which can be climbed up, has only seven floors, and the structure of 'seven bright and six dark' is very unique. (2) The inscriptions and plaques of Emperor Qianlong. It is said that Emperor Qianlong visited the Six Harmonies Pagoda six times when he went down to the south of the Yangtze River, and wrote inscriptions for each floor, which are: the first ground is firm, the two truths are integrated, the three bright and pure realms, the four heavenly treasures, the five clouds cover, the six turtles carry, and the seven treasures are solemn. (3) The central tower room on each floor. Each floor has four parts: an outer wall, a corridor, an inner wall, and a square tower heart chamber, which penetrate each other. The square central tower room has a caisson supported by bucket arches, the painting technique is very high, and the color is very gorgeous. (4) The pillar that reaches the sky on the top floor. It is said to be made of golden nanmu and is also called 'sacred wood' by the locals. (5) The beautiful views of the Qiantang River and the Moon Wheel Mountain seen from each floor. You can see the endless flow of vehicles on the upper layer of the Qiantang River Bridge, the green skin cars passing through the river on the lower layer, accompanied by the surging river, it is a visual impact of natural and human history spanning thousands of years. The symmetrical architectural layout on the opposite side of the river is said to be built in response to the Six Harmonies Pagoda, and I don't know what the rules are. Hangzhou is about to host the world-famous Asian Games. If you come to Hangzhou, you must visit the Six Harmonies Pagoda to experience the cultural heritage of this city, the heaviness of a thousand years of history, and the unique landscape of Hangzhou TIPS: Address: No. 16, Zhijiang Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou Admission ticket: 20 yuan Tower climbing ticket: 10 yuan Opening hours: 7:00-17:30 Bus: There are many buses that go directly there, just get off at the . Nearby attractions: Nine Creeks and Eighteen Gullies, Yunqi Bamboo Path, White Pagoda Park, Tiger Run Park, Hangzhou Zoo, Manjuelong, etc.