Ancient Chinese pagoda portrayed in Andersen fairy tale

Born on April 2, 1805, Hans Christian Andersen was a world-famous writer who created a fantasy world by writing many fairy tales for children around the world. Sponsored by the International Board on Books for Young People, an international non-profit organization, International Children's Book Day was established in 1967. The day is observed on the Danish author's birthday, April 2. On this day, people are encouraged to participate in reading books, writing competitions and other interesting activities to raise awareness of the significance of children's literature.

Among Hans Christian Andersen's well-known fairy tales is "The Garden of Paradise," which portrays a prince longing to find the utopia of Eden. Published in 1839, the story has become popular around the world thanks to its intriguing storylines. One chapter of the story mentions a pagoda in China. According to research, the author was inspired by the Glazed Pagoda of the Great Bao'en Temple to create the story setting.

The Great Bao'en Temple is located on the south bank of the Qinhuai River in Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province. It was built in the early 15th century during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in an ancient Chinese architectural style, featuring many elaborate Buddhist images and treasures. The Glazed Pagoda highlights the importance of the historical and cultural value of the temple. Zhu Di, the fourth son of Emperor Taizu of Ming, or Zhu Yuanzhang, built this pagoda and temple to commemorate his mother.

The pagoda was first discovered by the Western world when European travelers visited China. After its exposure to the outside world, the national treasure was considered one of the greatest wonders in the world.

As a landmark, it has witnessed many changes in the city over a long historical period. After several rounds of renovation, the modern replica and the surrounding park were opened to the public in 2015.