The Tang Dynasty Stone Pillar engraved with Buddhist
scripture in Songjiang is located on the campus of Leifeng Primary School,
Zhongshan Central Road of Songjiang Town, Songjiang County, Shanghai City.
Built in 859, it is one of the oldest buildings in Shanghai. The eight-sided
existing pillar is 9.3 meters tall with 21 stairs. The top of the pillar
measures 177 cm with the entire Buddhist scripture. The lower section is 36 cm
tall and contains the engraved names of the donors. The base is engraved with
smooth ripples, and the sides are engraved with undulate weaves. On the stone's
pedestal is an overlapping holder with engravings of lotus petals, cirrus
dragons, lions and Buddha. The top 10 stairs are engraved with lotus petals and
cirrus, the head of the lion and the Four Heavenly Kings. The 19th stair is a
cylinder, 40 cm tall and 65 cm in diameter, engraved with 16 Buddha and god.
As one of the stone buildings of ancient Buddhism, the stone pillar appeared
in China with the spread of Buddhism. The earliest pillars were octagonal or
hexagonal in shape with scriptures or incantations engraved, a base and a
decoration on top. Both the design and the construction were plain and simple.
Since the mid Tang Dynasty (618-907), the number of pillars increased and the
design was changed to be more delicate and refined. The Tang Dynasty Stone
Pillar engraved with Buddhist scripture in Songjiang is one of the biggest
pillars of its kind in China.