The Lingxiao Pagoda of
Zhengding,
Hebei Province, a half-brick half-wooden pagoda built in 1045 AD, with little change in renovations since.
The
Lingxiao Pagoda () is a
Chinese pagoda west of the Xinglong Temple in
Zhengding,
Hebei Province,
China.
History
The original
pagoda that stood at the same site was dubbed the Wooden Pagoda, and was built in 860 AD during the
Tang Dynasty (618-907). The pagoda's present form of brick and wood dates to
1045 AD during the reign of
Emperor Renzong (1022-1063) of the
Song Dynasty (960-1279), and was renovated and restored in the
Yuan,
Ming, and
Qing dynasties. It was formerly part of the Tianning
Monastery, and although the latter no longer exists, the pagoda has been well-preserved since the 11th century. In 1966 the pagoda was damaged in an
earthquake, but immediate repairs have kept it standing and open to the public.
Features
The brick base and structure of the 42 m (137 ft) tall pagoda ends after the 4th floor, as the rest of its height from the 5th floor up is purely wooden construction. It features a total of nine stories with nine wooden tiers of eaves encircling the
octagonal frame of the pagoda. In the center of the pagoda stands a large column, a feature of
Chinese architecture in pagodas that was discontinued sometime after the Song and Yuan periods. Built a decade later in 1055, the
Liaodi Pagoda (China's tallest pre-modern pagoda) also features an inner column, in the shape of another pagoda. Within the interior of the Lingxiao Pagoda, a wooden staircase leads up to the 4th floor. The pagoda is also crowned with a
cast iron spire.
See also
★
Architecture of the Song Dynasty
★
List of Buddhist temples
External links
★
Lingxiao Pagoda at Chinaculture.org
★
Wooden Pagoda at Tianning, China.org.cn
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