Leifeng Pagoda

Leifeng Pagoda is a tower by the West Lake in Hangzhou which was originally constructed in the year 975AD. It has been a popular tourist attraction since being rebuilt in 2002.

History of the Tower
During the Yuan dynasty, Leifeng Pagoda was still well-maintained. During the Ming Dynasty, Japanese pirates attacked Hangzhou. Suspecting it contained weapons, they burned its wooden elements, leaving only the brick skeleton, as can be seen from Ming pantings of the West Lake.

Later, due to superstition that bricks from the tower could repel illness or prevent miscarriage, many people stole bricks from the tower to grind into powder. On the afternoon of September 25th 1924, the tower finally collapsed.

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