It’s the high point in local sightseeing attractions
Print Edition
LOCATED about 11 kilometers from downtown Songjiang, Tianma Hill is the highest point in Shanghai, at 99.8 meters.
In ancient China, it was called Gan Hill, named after the great sword maker Gan Jiang, who was said to forge swords in the vicinity.
The hill has craggy cliffs and from a distance, it was thought to resemble a horse with wings. Thus, the hill was renamed Tianma, or “flying horse.”
Tianma is one of the 12 hills and nine peaks of the Sheshan Hill Range. It covers about 95.5 hectares.
Since days of yore, the hill’s many temples and shrines has been a mecca to pious Buddhist disciples. On the first and 15th day of each lunar month, Buddhist followers climb the hill to burn joss sticks and pray to Buddha.
Yuanzhijiao Temple is the largest on Tianma Hill. In its backyard is the centuries-old Huzhu Baoguang tower that dates back more than 900 years. It slants at a larger angle than the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
The seven-story tower is about 20 meters high and is inclined at about 6.85 degrees to the southeast, according to a measurement done in 1982.
In 1157, during the Song Dynasty (1127-1279), the emperor donated several five-color Sarira relics to the tower. Witnesses said they saw halos around the tower’s top at dawn and at dusk through the thin mist. That’s how the tower got its name. Baoguang means “precious glories.”
In the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912), the Buddhism culture there reached its peak. Steady flows of disciples came to pay homage at Tianma. The site was nicknamed the “Mountain of Joss Sticks.”
In 1788, a fireworks display in the Huzhu Baoguang Tower accidentally triggered a fire. It burned the stairs, handrails, floor plates and other wooden objects, leaving only the stone walls.The tower began to list after people found coins from the Song Dynasty near the foundations more than 100 years ago. As word of the coins spread, treasure hunters began digging around the foundation of the tower, undermining its stability.
Today the tower is largely forgotten by the public. It attracts few visitors due to poor traffic connections.
About 20 meters from the leaning tower is a 700-year-old gingko tree. It is said to have been planted there by General Zhou Wenda in the Song Dynasty.
Locals believe the tree and its extending branches protect the tower from falling over completely. According to superstition, couples would conceive children if they drove nails into the trunk of the tree. The desecration caused many of the branches to die, leaving only one strong bough surviving. Today the tree is a protected heritage species.
On the southern side of the leaning tower is Zhuoyue Spring. According to the travel diary of He Sanwei in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the spring water could brighten human sight. It’s said he discovered a stone in the bottom of the spring, which was inscribed with words “the country’s No. 4 spring.” The source of that stone is still a mystery.
At the top of Tianma Hill is North Peak, the highest point. Standing there on a clear day, you can see almost make out the Jinshan islands in the East China Sea to the southeast. To the west, the Maohe River glistens.
At the top of the peak is a stone platform, marking the spot where it’s said General Zhou liked to engage in swordplay.
In Moyun Park on the hill, a bronze Buddha was found and restored several years ago. It weighs 1,800 kilograms and stands 3 meters high. Consecrated by Xingxiu Master Monk from Songjiang’s Xilin Temple, the Buddha is regarded as the “Guardian of Tianma.”
At the foot of the hill, experts recently discovered a hidden valley, which is going to be developed into a nature park.
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