Renovation work has been completed on the Wanshan Stone Tower, the only stone tower of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in Wuxi, east China's Jinagsu Province.
The tower, formerly called the Baoqin tower, is located at the top of the Wanshan in southwest Yangguang Town, Xishan District, Wuxi. Built in 1547 in the Ming Dynasty, the tower is 454 years old.
It was built entirely with stones in the pavilion style, with six sides and seven floors. Buddha statues and inscriptions were carved on the sides of the third floor and fifth floor separately.
Struck by thunders three times in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and having not been repaired over a long period of time, Buddha statues had been gone and the body of the tower damaged.
In August last year, the local government raised 400,000 yuan to renovate the whole pagoda. As a result, the top eaves have been restored, the body of the tower has been reinforced, and Buddha statues have been reinstalled.
(People’s Daily 04/04/2001)
