Today it is embellished with numerous pavilions, small villas, pagodas, lakes and flowerbeds. There is also a dagoba dating from the Song period (960-1279) and several stone pillars from the Tang era (618-907) with inscriptions from the Buddhist Sutra.
The north-eastern section of the roof is missing from the rectangular Buque Ting Pavilion (bu que meaning to correct a mistake). The building was erected in 1931 during the Japanese occupation of Manchuria; the missing roof section was meant to remind the Chinese of this occupation.
The Confucius Temple, situated to the south of Jiading 19km/12 miles north-west of Shanghai, was built in 1219 and restored during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. In 1958 the municipal museum of Jiading was erected here where, among other exhibits are kept 90 stone tablets with old inscriptions.
The 48.5m/158ft high nine-storey pagoda, also known as the Four-cornered Pagoda (Fang Ta), was built during the rule ofthe Northern Song between 1068 and 1094 and was renovated between 1975 and 1977. It is situated 30km/18 miles to the south-west of Shanghai in the city of Song-jiang. Its rectangular ground plan makes it exceptional as pagodas from the Song period were usually octagonal; the rectangular shape is typical ofthe Tang period (618-907).
It can be seen that the pagoda’s substructure leans slightly to the southeast and that the canopies on the south-east fagade are longer – these are precautions taken by the builders of the Song period against typhoons from the south-east.
Xingsheng-jianosi Ta ” Near Songjiang on the Tianmashan mountain stands the Pagoda for Pagoda for Guarding Pearls, also known as the Leaning Pagoda (Xie Ta). It dates from Guarding Pearls 1079 and was almost burned down in 1788. Afterwards bricks were torn (Huzhu Ta) from the building which is why it leans towards the west.
