The Tower of Nanjing: The Lost Porcelain Pagoda

           Though the tower was not the tallest pagoda constructed in China, it was widely

considered the most beautiful. Rather than being constructed of only wood, the walls of

the temple were made of white porcelain bricks that must have glittered in the sunlight.

Worked into the porcelain of the walls was a mixture of green, yellow, brown and white

glazes in the design of animals, flowers, bamboo, landscapes and Buddhist images.

            Unfortunately, the tower did not survive the 19th century. In 1801 a bolt of lightning

hit the tower, destroying the top three stories. These were quickly rebuilt, but in 1853 Taiping

Rebels took control of the city. The rebels were Christians and destroyed much of the Buddhist

art in the temple along with the interior staircase. The tower was still standing in May of 1854,

however, when American sailors visited the city and saw it. It is believed that in 1856 the rebels

finally destroyed the tower completely, either to deny its use as an observation post to their

enemies or because they had a superstitious fear of it.

             The tower only exists today in illustrations and museum miniatures. However, in 2010,

Wang Jianlin, a Chinese businessman, donated one billion yuan ($156 million) to the city to

have the temple rebuilt. So the magnificent pagoda tower may someday once again rise above

the ancient city of Nanjing and reflect the morning sun with its glittering porcelain walls.