Located on the fifty-third terrace on the northern slope of Mount Ytmtai west of Zhenjiang City, the dagoba was built right across a busy street. AS the gateway under the dagoba resembled a city gate, two characters, Zhao Guan (Zhao Pass), were engraved above it. Later generations called the dagoba the Stone Dagoba of Zhaoguan.
Why was the dagoba gateway built on this spot? Because not far to the west there was a ferry, called the Xijin Ferry, that was the main way to Guazhou in Jiangbei and Jinshan in Jiangzhong. In olden times it was very difficult and dangerous to sail across the great Yangtze River and it was not rare for a boat to sink in midriver, so Buddhism took the chance to spread its doctrine by building a dagoba there. Since people would feel safer and more comfortable if they had a chance to pray for the blessings and protection of Buddha, it was most convenient to build a dagoba across the street. People believed that once a parson passed under such a gateway, he would have the same luck as if he paid his respects to Buddha or recited Buddhist scriptures. Therefore the dagoba was constructed with donations collected from the people.
As for the exact year of construction, no written record has been found so far. It was inscribed on the dagoba only that it had been "reconstructed" in 1582. From the form of the dagoba and the gateway they were constructed during the Yuan Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty only part of the dagoba was reconstructed but the dagoba as a whole has remained a structure of the Yuan Dynasty.
Dagobas built across streets are rare in China, and few were built during the Yuan Dynasty. This one on Mount Yuntai in Zhenjiang is the only dagoba of its kind constructed during the Yuan Dynasty preserved intact; therefore it is regarded as of special value.
