The Tianfeng Pagoda is situated in the centre of Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province. With a height of about 51 meters (167 feet), this hexagonal building is a landmark and the tallest ancient structure in the city. It appears as a seven-storey tower with another seven stories underground and is renowned for its long history, architectural value and ancient artifacts.
The tower was first built in 695 in the Tang Dynasty (618-907); hence it is also known as the Tang Pagoda. Since then, this pagoda had been destroyed and reconstructed on many occasions from the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The current tower was built in 1989. Guarded by a male and a female stone lion on the two sides, it is surrounded by a red wall, ready to tell people its long history. It is said that a great deal of silt was piled up highly to send bricks and stones up for the pagoda's construction in the Tang Dynasty. The silt left was so huge that two streets near the pagoda were named Dashani Jie (Big Silt Street) and Xiaoshani Jie (Small Silt Street). Made of bricks and wood, the exquisite pagoda boasts architectural features of the Song Dynasty (960-1279). At the same time, the elaborate tower is decorated with splendid cornices and fine carvings. Visitors get a dynamic feeling when approaching this elegant structure. More than one hundred ancient articles were unearthed here, such as a copper Buddha, ancient money, a bronze box and a priceless silver palace model covered with gold. Many of these are important ancient Chinese artifacts. They are of great help in studying the history of the tower as well as the architecture and craft of the Song Dynasty.