[2025 Wuhan Attraction] Travel Guide for Hongshan Pagoda (Updated Mar)

Baotong Temple in Wuhan is located at No. 549, Wuluo Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan City, Hubei Province. It is an ancient temple with a history of more than 1,600 years. It was built during the Liu Song Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties (420-479) and was initially named Dongshan Temple. After several name changes, it was finally named Baotong Zen Temple. Baotong Temple is not only one of the four famous Buddhist temples in Wuhan, but also the largest temple in the central and southern regions. It is built on the mountain and covers an area of more than 110,000 square meters. It has a magnificent architectural complex, including the mountain gate, the holy monk bridge, the release pond, the bell tower, the drum tower, the Maitreya Hall, the Daxiong Hall, the Sutra Building, the ancestral hall, the east and west flower halls, the Buddha Hall, the Jialan Hall, the abbot's room and the Zen Hall. Behind the temple is the iconic Hongshan Pagoda, so the temple is known as the "First Buddhist Land in San Chu". Baotong Temple has profound cultural connotations and historical value. It used to be a royal temple and was supported by many emperors and princes in history. Its architectural style tends to be the style of northern gardens, with classical and atmospheric characteristics. There are also many precious cultural relics preserved in the temple, such as the iron Buddha of the Tang Dynasty and the stone lion of the Ming Dynasty. These not only witness history, but also are treasures of Buddhist culture.

The Hongshan Pagoda is located on the southern slope of Hongshan in Wuchang, northeast of Baotong Temple. It was built in the 17th year of the Yuan Dynasty (1280) to commemorate the founding master Lingji Ciren, and is also known as the Lingji Pagoda. In the 21st year of the Ming Dynasty (1485), the pagoda was renamed Baotong Pagoda along with the temple. Because it is located on Hongshan, it is also called Hongshan Pagoda. The pagoda has seven floors and eight sides. It is a brick and stone imitation wood structure. It is 44.1 meters high, 37.3 meters wide at the base, and 4.3 meters wide at the top. The stone steps inside the round door along the base of the pagoda spiral up and can reach the top floor directly. It is known as the "number of peaks outside the tower". Climbing the tower and looking into the distance, the two mountains are facing each other, the two waters are divided, and the three towns are all in sight. The pagoda has been renovated by the management department and is listed as a key cultural relic protection unit in Hubei Province.

Baotong Zen Temple, located at the southern foot of Hongshan in Wuhan, Hubei Province, is a pure Buddhist temple for all ages. It is the first Buddhist place in Sanchu, one of the four major Buddhist forests in Wuhan, and the oldest existing temple in Wuhan. It is the largest temple in the urban area of Central and South China, and its scale and magnificent halls are the first of all temples in Wuchang. Baotong Zen Temple has always been a symbol of the royal temple, and has been maintained and maintained by the royal family in various dynasties. The current temple architecture obviously has a royal style. The temple buildings and pavilions are built according to the mountain, with layers of stacks, hidden and natural, simple and solemn, with a total area of 165 acres, the largest area. The time of construction: the ancient temple of the royal temple from 420-479 AD. Cultural relics: Song bell, Ming Dynasty stone lion, Hongshan Pagoda...