Yuquan iron pagoda, the highest and supposedly best-protected
ancient iron pagoda in China, has now seriously rusted. The person
in charge from the Hubei Cultural Relics Bureau has called on
related specialists to solve the problem.
According to Chutian Metropolis Daily, the Yuquan iron
pagoda, which is in the Yuquan temple, Yuquan mountain, Dangyang
City in Hubei Province was originally known as "Qian Fo Ta" or
Thousand Buddhas' Pagoda. It was cast in 1061 of the Northern Song
Dynasty (AD 960 - 1127). The 13-story pagoda, casted with delicate
pictures of the Eight Immortals Cross Ocean, Two Dragons Play with
the Pearl and so on in each story, is the highest, heaviest and
supposedly best-protected ancient iron pagoda in China. It was
listed in the national relics' protection unit in 1982.
Yuquan iron pagoda used to be noted for being rust proof in the
past thousand years and becoming blacker and shinier after rain.
But its rust area is now more than 90 percent, the delicate
pictures destroyed and the little Buddha sculptures starting to
fall off.
Yuquan iron pagoda once leant to the northeast due to a sinking
groundsill. The Chinese Relics Protection Technique Center
maintained it thoroughly and reinforced the groundsill in the early
1990s. Meanwhile, they cleaned the pagoda. But, shortly after it,
the pagoda began to rust.
At
the beginning of this year, the State Administration of Cultural
Heritage requested Hubei Cultural Relics Bureau to entrust
high-level special unit to make the protection plan for the Yuquan
iron pagoda and make all effort to support them.
(China.org.cn by Chen Lin, May 4, 2003)