Normally this large bronze pot bside the Pagoda is filled with water and visitors would throw in coins for goodluck( and the cigarette butts) However, today the water was gone and many of our visitors were tempted to take back luck with us.

At the Panmen Auspicious Light Pagoda which originally built in 1004AD. However, like many monuments in China, the pagoda was rebuilt many times. Linking to the DuBose’s realisation of there being no ancient ruins in the city, unlike those of the Western tradition. As the Chinese rebuilding challenges our understanding from the western perspective as we have differing view to achieving the enduring monument. It reminded Motes comments on the value in which the Chinese placed on the literati of stories, poems and art works of their past, in which if history and monuments were recorded in words then nothing is lost when monuments collapsed as this could all be replaced as it will continue to carry the memories through the human documentation as their past was in words and human experience.

My human experience with the Pagoda, which was one of the most memorable, was my fall down 4 steps of the steep staircase (pretty much a ladder) as I attempted to take photos. However, second to that was the view that one would get from each level and the thick openings to the octagonal Pagoda.