Yuquan iron pagoda, the highest and supposedly best-protected ancient iron pagoda in China, has now seriously rusted. The person in charge from the Hubei Cultural Relics Bureau has called on related specialists to solve the problem.

According to Chutian Metropolis Daily, the Yuquan iron pagoda, which is in the Yuquan temple, Yuquan mountain, Dangyang City in Hubei Province was originally known as "Qian Fo Ta" or Thousand Buddhas' Pagoda. It was cast in 1061 of the Northern Song Dynasty (AD 960 - 1127). The 13-story pagoda, casted with delicate pictures of the Eight Immortals Cross Ocean, Two Dragons Play with the Pearl and so on in each story, is the highest, heaviest and supposedly best-protected ancient iron pagoda in China. It was listed in the national relics' protection unit in 1982.

Yuquan iron pagoda used to be noted for being rust proof in the past thousand years and becoming blacker and shinier after rain. But its rust area is now more than 90 percent, the delicate pictures destroyed and the little Buddha sculptures starting to fall off.

Yuquan iron pagoda once leant to the northeast due to a sinking groundsill. The Chinese Relics Protection Technique Center maintained it thoroughly and reinforced the groundsill in the early 1990s. Meanwhile, they cleaned the pagoda. But, shortly after it, the pagoda began to rust.

At the beginning of this year, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage requested Hubei Cultural Relics Bureau to entrust high-level special unit to make the protection plan for the Yuquan iron pagoda and make all effort to support them.

(China.org.cn by Chen Lin, May 4, 2003)