Untitled Sculpture at the Reading Pagoda - Reading, PA - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

When heading from the south or the west to the Reading area, the Reading Pagoda is the symbol that you are almost there. Sitting 620 feet above the city of Reading, the Pagoda originated as a way to beautify the mining scarred Mount Penn in the early 1900s. It was planned to be a luxorious resort but plans fell through when a liquor license couldn't be obtained and the bank foreclosed. The Pagoda was then sold to the city of Reading for $1...yes, that is $1. Today, the Pagoda is one of the biggest tourist attractions in our area. After all, who would expect to see a Pagoda in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country? The drive up the side of Mount Penn to get to our destination can be an experience itself. The windy roads criss cross across the mountain and as many times as I have been there, I think I have never taken the same route twice.
Once you reach the Pagoda, for the prices of $1 (sound familiar) you can climb the 87 steps to the top and look down over the city. It is a beautiful view. Then when you come back down, you can take advantage of the penny smasher, grab a bite to eat in the cafe and buy some unique souvenirs in the gift shop.

Hours to enter the Pagoda are rather limited but one can still get a terrific view of the city from the parking area and can also meander around the outside of the Pagoda. Hours are Open Thursday - 2pm to 6pm & Friday, Saturday & Sunday - Noon to 6pm.

It is not necessary to enter the Pagoda to see these sculptures, in fact, you can't see them from inside. However, visit on a bright sunny day and they will dazzle you from their post high above the city of Reading.

TITLE: Untitled, (sculpture). ARTIST(S): Bessie Prail Bast DATE: 1971 MEDIUM: Sculpture: gilded aluminum; Base: metal. CONTROL NUMBER: IAS PA001768 Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link] PHYSICAL LOCATION: The dolphins sit atop the Reading Pagoda, 98 Duryea Dr, Reading, PA 19602 DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH: The Smithsonian website lists the two figures which sit high on the roof of the Reading Pagoda as dolphins. However, the Reading Pagoda website states that the two fish that sit on the roof of the 7 story tall Pagoda are there to protect the Pagoda from fire. That confused me a bit so I turned to our good friend, Google, and found out that these fish are more likely Japanese Shachihoko. In Japanese folklore, the shachihoko has the head of a tiger and the body of the fish and is able to cause rain to fall which ties in with the Pagoda's reference to fire protection. They were used on tops of temples and they are also used on top of the Japanese inspired Reading Pagoda.

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