Like the mysterious region in which the actual Mahota Pagoda is located, this unique Harbour Lights sculpture holds many secrets. Each level of the majestic pagoda is detachable and becomes a small box that opens to place a tiny treasure inside. And like the original, it is fine and unique… unlike any other.

The ancient port city of Shanghai has a heritage that has been preserved amid the gloss and glimmer of modern architecture that makes this Eastern Gateway to China as important today as it was in the First Millennium. So it was that in 874 AD, Monk RuHai built the exquisite five-story Mahota Pagoda right in the middle of the Mao River.

At night, a lantern was hung from the top of the pagoda to aid mariners entering the waterway. For sailors traveling the wide river, it became a true lighthouse for the next 400 years. For historians, the pagoda earned recognition as a National Historical Relic in 1962.

In a vast country famous for its varied pagodas and temples, Mahota stands among a small number that have survived the ages. The pagoda is an important part of the Buddhist religion, and they were built in great numbers during early dynasties, particularly the Tang (618-907) through the Song, Liao and Kin (1115-1234) Dynasties.

In 601, Emperor Wendi of the Sui Dynasty issued decrees to all counties and prefectures ordering them to build pagodas. The Emperor even distributed simple designs so that the pagodas would be built in the standard style and in great numbers. At that time, pagodas were constructed of wood, making them subject to decay and fire. Historical records show that some of the most majestic pagodas of the time were destroyed by fire within a few years of completion.

It was during the Tang Dynasty that brick and stone pagodas reached their height. The Mahota Pagoda is one of the few remaining examples of this period. Constructed of brick and wood, it is a traditional five-story design with exquisite upturned eaves and a tall, ornamental spire at the top. A wooden staircase winds up the center, with ample space for viewing at each level of the pagoda.

It is evident from the elaborate detail in every aspect of the design and construction of the pagoda that it is an important structure, meant to be revered and admired. So it is not surprising that Mahota Pagoda is a major attraction in Shanghai, home to extraordinary and rare examples of fine pagoda architectures.