Mao Pagoda
Geographical Position: 31¡ã03¡ä.2N 121¡ã04¡ä.3E
Commissioned: 874 A.D
Architect/Builder: Monk Ruhai
Construction Material: Bricks and wood
Shanghai is the hub of water transportion in East China. In A.D 874, Monk Ruhai built the Mao Pagoda in the middle of the Mao river, hanging a lantern from the top of the pagoda at night. Vessels sailing in the wide Mao River regarded this pagoda as a lighthouse. Because of sedimentation of silt and changes of channels, use of the pagoda as an aid to navigation extended only to the end of the Song Dynasty£¨AD 1279£©.
This pagoda was declared a national historical relic in 1962 and collected as the world historic lighthouse by IALA in October 1997. It is also listed in the Chinese historical relic lighthouse stamps issued by the China State Post Bureau in May 2002.
Mao Pagoda is now one of the visiting sites in the Sun Island resort.
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