Pagoda Express

Ahh the Pagoda... What can be said about Reading's famous monument? In general the Pagoda causes a feeling of dread for me every time someone mentions trekking up Mount Penn to see the landmark, as the road is very steep, meaning it has to twist and turn so you don't lose control of your car when there is a sheet of ice on it during the winter. Meaning there have been many moments of carsickness associated with the Pagoda.

If you don't know, the Pagoda is a building that sits on top of Mount Penn in Reading PA, and its general look is reminiscent of Japanese / Asian structures of the same name. Generally, they are towers which have multiple tiers sticking out and were used for religious purposes (for the record, Wikipedia has an entry with similar wording...) When it was built here in Reading, it was meant to be a hotel with a restaurant, but that didn't last long. So now it is recognizable as our city's landmark, and from most places in Reading and the surrounding areas, you can see its red lights shining in the nighttime, but other than that pretty much nothing happens there.

The most prominent memory that sticks in my mind about the pagoda is that every time we would go there, my dad mentioned the fact that my great grandmother was always up there as a child and as she grew up. It served as a place of socializing and meditation for her. So much so that her dying wish was that she be cremated and have her ashes thrown over the sides of the Pagoda.

Today when I picked up the newspaper, the front cover stated that a movie is going to be shot at the Pagoda in the next few weeks, which is what brought on this little entry of mine. I got pretty excited when I heard about it, so I thought I would share.
If you click here you can read the article yourself. :)