Slideshow  Audio  Google Map  Timeline  Timemap  Comments (0)

Notes: 1) The 雷風塔 Leifengta, Thunder Peak Temple is most famous due to the delightful story of the White Snake 白蛇 Baishe who fell in love with a handsome lad of Hangzhou and was eventually buried alive under the Leifengta by the nasty monk Fahai 法海 Fahai. Originaly built overlooking 西湖 West Lake in 航州 Hangzhou during the reign of Kai Pao, 968-976 of Norther Song dynasty, it took the name of the peak on which it was built, 雷風 Leifeng, Thunder Peak. In 1906, Frderick Cloud, Vice Consul of the American Consulate in Hangzhou wrote, 'Owing to the superstitions surrounding the pagoda, visitors have been wont to carry away bits of brick from its walls until it is only a question of a few decades until the magnificent old structure will tumble in hopeless ruin. These bits of pagoda, when scattered over a rice paddy, always insure a good crop of rice'. As predicted, in 1923 the Leifengta collapsed. Then in 2002 a magnificent new Leifengta was completed. the new pagoda is a massive structure with experior escalators from the base of the peak to the pagoda, and elevators to whisk one to the top. But is a beautiful architectural structure and it perched over the foundation of the old Leifengta, without damaging it, so that visitors can look at the remains of the old pagoda. 2) Music is the piece 雷風夕照 Leifeng Xizhao, Sunset Glow Over Thunder Peak played on guqin and pipa.

Related Items:

At Jingci Temple Seeing Off Lin Zifang at Dawn 曉出凈慈寺送林子方

Thunder Pagoda In Moonlight 月下雷峰片

Hángzhōu 杭州

Zhèjiāng 浙江