City God Pavilion

The City God Pavilion anchors the southern end of Wushan Hill with a seven-story, wooden-style structure capped by a golden roof that shines above the tree line. This building honors the guardian spirit of Hangzhou, a tradition dating back to the fourteenth century when local officials built temples to ensure divine protection for the city. After fire destroyed the original pavilion, architect Wang Shu designed the current version, finished in nineteen ninety-nine, which mixes traditional aesthetics with steel framing.