Emperor Qianlong ordered them for his private temple and found them too small. They were exchanged with the ones he made his mother and moved to the palace. It was later moved to Luoyang by order of Premier Zhou Enlai in 1973 for the state visit of Prince Sihanouk. It never returned to the palace.
Nine-Level Red Sandalwood Pagoda 紫檀九级楼阁式木塔
Red sandalwood | Qing Dynasty, 47th year of Qianlong reign (1782) | Dimensions – Ht: 1.13m | Luoyang Museum Collection, From Forbidden City Palace of Compassion Tranquility Great Buddha Hall. 紫檀｜清乾隆四十七年（公元1782年）｜高1.13米｜洛阳博物馆藏，原故宫慈宁宫大佛堂
Two nine-story red sandalwood pagodas quietly tell the glory of the Qing Dynasty. They are octagonal nine-story pavilion-style towers, showing the exquisite skills of ancient craftsmen. The pagoda is towering, the lotus seat on the sky plate holds the treasure bottle, and the twelve Vajra pestles surround it, showing the solemnity and sacredness of the pagoda.
The tower body has flying eaves and corners, light and elegant, and niches are opened on eight sides of each floor. The base of the pagoda is an octagonal Sumeru pedestal 须弥台座, carved with twined flower patterns, which looks both simple and elegant.
A total of 120 Buddha statues silently guard this land.
Netizens inadvertently took pictures of the nine-level rosewood pagoda under the light and shadow. The shadows projected on the wall looked like the silhouettes of two female generals in armour.
All of this originated from the Great Buddha Hall of the Palace of Compassion Tranquility in the Forbidden City. These sandalwood pagodas were built originally for Shuxiang Temple 承德殊像寺, but were swapped with the silkwood pagodas that were used for worship by Empress Dowager Chongqing of Niohuru clan 崇庆皇太后 钮祜禄氏, known in popular culture as Zhenhuan 甄嬛.
Shuxiang Temple 承德殊像寺 in Chengde was the royal temple for Emperor Qianlong, which he spared no expense to decorate and build over the years of his reign. In the 47th year of his reign, he instructed the eunuch Oreli 鄂勒里 to move these pagodas back to the palace as they looked too small compared to the cavernous main hall. In return, he moved the two silkwood pagodas that he constructed for his mom’s birthday to the temple.
Palace of Compassion Tranquillity Great Buddha Hall 慈宁宫大佛堂
As the largest hall for worshipping Buddha in the Forbidden City, the Great Buddha Hall has seven rooms decorated with yellow glazed tiles. In the hall, one can find various images of Buddha, pagodas, Buddhist scripture reels and musical instruments used in Buddhist ceremonies. At present, the building is well preserved while the figures of Buddha have been moved to the White Horse Temple and Luoyang Museum.
The statues of the eighteen arhats are the most precious among the Buddhist relics in the Great Buddha Hall. These are now in Whitehorse Temple in Luoyang. However four of the back panels of mini Buddhas are currently on display together with the other relics in Luoyang Museum.
These pagodas and numerous cultural relics not only display the artistic treasures of the Ming and Qing dynasties, but also witness the changes in history. Today, they lie quietly in the new building of Luoyang Museum, waiting for future generations to explore and discover.
About Chinese National Treasure Series
中華國寶系列 Chinese National Treasure series feature specific artefacts and relics from museums all around the world that are historically significant to be considered a National Treasure. The series covers the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation from Neolithic periods before the Xia dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BC) to modern day.
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