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Why Shibaozhai Temple is special
Its red wooden 12 story pagoda rises stunningly
against a 30 meter (100 foot) high rock outcropping (see photo) along the banks of the Yangtze River.
Interesting insights
about Shibaozhai Temple
 The tall pagoda is the most
interesting part of the Shibaozhai Temple. It consists of two sections: The
lower one is a nine story edifice that abuts the rock outcropping. The upper section sits on top of the
outcropping (where the temple buildings reside).
The
nine story section is not a free-standing
building. Its architects designed it to lean against the rock outcropping for its support. Without it, the section would
topple over.
The Shibaozhai pagoda structure was built without nails.
During the early years of the Shibaozhai Temple, the lower
pagoda section did not exist. Visitors were hoisted to the hilltop via a cumbersome chain apparatus.
Legend tells us that the higher
you climb up the Shibaozhai pagoda stairs, the better your wish or prayer will be answered.
When the water behind the Three Gorges Dam reaches its
maximum height in 2009, the river will rise to the Shibaozhai pagoda's foot. To keep the waters from ruining
the structure, the Chinese are building a special dam that will encircle the entire temple and its huge rock outcropping.
Shibaozhai Temple tidbits
The lower section of the temple was constructed
in the early 1800s.
Shibaozhai translates as "precious stone fortress".
Most visitors arrive on Yangtze
River cruise ships, which dock along the riverbank.
Tips for your
vacation tour or trip
The best place to take a photograph
of the Shibaozhai pagoda is along the river bank, not as you near the structure.
The staircase inside the
nine story section is very steep
(ship ladder style). Those who might find such steps difficult should go up via the exit route that is
separate from the pagoda. It has
normal style steps and is not as steep.
Nearest major cities
Shibaozhai Temple is roughly 300 kilometers (180 miles) downstream from Chongqing city and 1000 kilometers (625 miles)
upstream from Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province.
Pronunciation guide
Shibaozhai: she-bah'o-ch'eye
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