Lingyan Temple｜Huichong Pagoda

Lingyan Temple's oldest existing tomb pagoda is the tomb pagoda of the Tang Dynasty eminent monk Huichong Chan Master, built during the Tang Tianbao period (742–755 AD), with a history of over 1,200 years.
Huichong Chan Master was the abbot of Lingyan Temple during the Tang Dynasty, with remarkable achievements throughout his life and great contributions to the construction of the temple. He is as renowned as the founding patriarch Lang Gong Fazheng. He lived over a hundred years, and after his passing, he was honored with this distinguished tomb pagoda.
The Huichong Pagoda is a single-story pavilion-style stone pagoda, 5.3 meters high and 3.74 meters wide, entirely built of stone, with a strong Tang Dynasty style.
The pagoda base is a square foundation built with five layers of stone slabs, solid and heavy.
The pagoda body has arched doors on all four sides, with only the south side being a real door allowing entry into the pagoda chamber (an interior space of 2.2 meters square with a coffered ceiling); the east, west, and north sides have half-covered false doors carved with figures leaning in, lion heads, flying apsaras, musicians, and other patterns in the flourishing Tang style.
The pagoda top features a double-layered eave with gradually receding tiers, and the finial consists of an exposed dish, an inverted lotus, and a precious pearl, with simple and elegant lines.
On the east and west sides are "door-opening carvings": the east door depicts a person entering sideways (symbolizing birth), and the west door depicts a person exiting (symbolizing passing away), symbolizing "life and death," embodying the concept of the cycle of life, a masterpiece of Tang Dynasty stone carving.

This pagoda stands independently from the main tomb pagoda forest (a group of 167 tomb pagodas), located to the west of the Bizhi Pagoda, highlighting Huichong's special status.

Post by SamanthaRobinson890| | Aug 21, 2025