The Wanshou Pagoda

The Wanshou Pagoda in Qingpu District, Shanghai, was built in the eighth year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty (1743). According to Wang Dexin's 'Pagoda Yard Record,' 'Local scholars, officials, and residents contributed money to imitate the Buddhist pagoda style and erected this towering and splendid structure outside the south gate, its vermillion and yellow brilliance reaching into the clouds. Upon completion, it was graced with the auspicious name 'Wanshou'... The people of the town gaze upon it and bow in reverence, grateful for the century of peace and prosperity it represents, and they chant prayers of longevity to express their gratitude to the nation. It is not merely a shining example of civilization like the stories of the Wild Goose Pagoda, nor just a place for the stylish to inscribe their names.' Therefore, this pagoda has no connection with Buddhism. After its completion, a temple, halls, and pavilions were built nearby, covering more than 30 acres, known as the Wanshou Pagoda Compound. In the thirty-ninth year of Qianlong's reign (1774), Xu Shu (a native of Baihe Jiangpu, a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) funded the restoration of the pagoda, 'The brilliance of gold and jade shone splendidly in the sky.' In the forty-third year (1778), the pagoda was struck by lightning and suffered significant damage. From the forty-sixth to the forty-seventh year (1781-1782), the Qing scholar Wang Chang compiled the 'Qingpu County Annals' in the pagoda compound. In the fifth year of the Jiaqing era (1800), the Qingxi Academy was built to the right of the pagoda compound, and Wang Chang was invited to lecture there. In the ninth year of the Guangxu era (1883), a coppersmith climbed the pagoda to steal tin and accidentally set fire to it while melting the tin, causing the wooden structure to be largely destroyed, leaving the pagoda's top and eaves gone. In 1959, it was listed as one of the county's first batch of cultural relics protection units. In 1982, a stone revetment was built along the river at the base of the pagoda, and a dragon-back flower window wall was constructed around it. In 1993, the pagoda body was further repaired and reinforced.