Dabaoen Temple Ruins Park

The former site of Dabaoen Temple, rebuilt by Ming Emperor Yongle (Zhu Di) in gratitude for his mother's kindness; construction of its glazed pagoda began in 1412 — nearly 78 meters tall, nine stories and eight sides, sheathed entirely in glazed tiles — and Western visitors ranked it among the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World before it was destroyed by war in 1856. After the site was preserved in situ, the park opened in 2015; a lightweight reconstruction re-creates the pagoda's night lighting, its reflection in the Qinhuai River becoming a new landmark. The underground palace yielded the Seven-Treasure Ashoka Stupa and a gilded silver coffin — discoveries of national-treasure grade tied to the parietal-bone relic of the Buddha. The exhibition halls tell 'the past and present of the Glazed Pagoda' with modern displays; seeing the pagoda lit up at night is the crowning moment of a Qinhuai itinerary.

Getting there: Next to Zhonghua Gate