Listening to the Tidal Roar at Six Harmonies

To the west of the West Lake and on the northern bank of Qiantang River, stands on the Yuelun Hill an ancient multi-layered wood-and-brick pagoda. That's the Pagoda of Six Harmonies (Liuhe Pagoda), which is one of the best-preserved ancient brick and wood pagodas in China and one of the landmarks of Hangzhou. Since Qiantang River, which is famous for its spectacular tidal waves, lies right at the foot of the pagoda, one can see every single rise and fall of tide waves, and hear the sound of tidal waves clearly on top of the pagoda.

There are two kinds of interpretation of the name—Six Harmonies. One is that the name is related to the six codes of Buddhism. Six Harmonies mean the harmonies of body, mind, speech, opinion, wealth, and abstinence from temptation. The other goes that Six Harmonies refer to the harmony of four directions (east, west, south, west), heaven and earth.

The Pagoda of Six Harmonies is 59.89 meters in height. Its construction style is rather sophisticated. Although viewed from the outside, it appears to be a thirteen-story pagoda, it only has seven interior stories. Inside the pagoda, there is a spiral staircase leading to the top floor, and upon each of the seven ceilings are carved and painted figures including animals, flowers, birds, characters, etc.

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