Tianning Temple was originally constructed in the fifth year of the Tang Dynasty’s Tai Zhong era (851 AD), initially named Guoning Temple. It was renamed Chongning Wanshou Temple in the second year of the Song Dynasty’s Zongning era (1106 AD), and then changed to Darning Wanshou Temple in the first year of the Kaiyuan era (1111 AD). During the Jianyan period, it was destroyed by war but was soon rebuilt. In the second year of the Yuan Dynasty’s Zhi Da era (1309 AD), it was destroyed by Japanese pirates and later rebuilt. In the fifteenth year of the Ming Dynasty’s Hongwu era (1382 AD), it was renamed Tianning Chan Temple and is now known as Tianning Temple. Originally, there were two pagodas, one to the east and one to the west, in front of the temple. The eastern pagoda collapsed during the Qing Dynasty’s Guangxu era. In 1995, archaeological work was carried out on the foundation of the eastern pagoda as part of the Zhongshan renovation project, revealing the remains of the collapsed pagoda. The existing structure is the western pagoda of Tianning Temple. The pagoda bricks originally bore the inscription ‘Made in the fourth year of Xiantong (863 AD)’, and during the 1995 restoration of the western pagoda, many bricks from the Xiantong era were discovered, earning it the nickname ‘Xiantong Pagoda’. Due to its relatively small size and resemblance to a turtle, it is commonly referred to as the ‘Turtle Pagoda’.
The pagoda of Tianning Temple is a brick structure with a parabolic elevation and a square plan, approximately 3.20 meters per side, consisting of five levels that contract progressively. Each level features an overhanging eave constructed with bricks, which extends further out compared to the common Tang dynasty pagodas in the north. The interior of the pagoda is cylindrical, with pot-shaped doors on all four sides of the ground floor, and niches on the walls of each subsequent level. The pagoda stands at about 12 meters tall, with a wall thickness of approximately 0.76 meters, covering an area of 10.42 square meters. The Tianning Temple Pagoda is one of the oldest existing Tang dynasty brick pagodas in Zhejiang Province and the only surviving example of a Tang dynasty temple’s twin pagodas in China, playing a significant role in the study of religious culture and Buddhist architecture of the Tang era. The western pagoda has been restored to its original appearance. In 2003, archaeological excavations were conducted at the Tianning Temple site, clarifying the layout of the temple to the east of the central axis during the Tang and Song dynasties, and it is now protected on its original site. The site is open to the public all year round, with full-day access.
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