Yingxian Wooden Pagoda
The Yingxian County Wooden Pagoda, known as Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple, is an important wooden structure typical of the Liao Dynasty in China. Built in the year 1056, the pagoda has a history of 957 years, making it the oldest multi-story wooden structure in the world. And this 67.31 meter high, nine-story building is also the tallest. Without a doubt, the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda represents one of the most outstanding achievements in the design and construction of wooden structures in ancient China.
History of Yingxian Wooden Pagoda
The ancient pagoda was known as "the first pagoda" during the Ming and Qing dynasties, meaning "there are a large number of Buddha pagodas in the world, but the Yingxian County Wooden Pagoda is the first." It plays an important role in the history of ancient Chinese architecture. This pagoda embodies the wisdom of ancient craftsmen, and continues to stand after many earthquakes for nine hundred years. Without a doubt, it can be described as a miracle in architectural history. Due to its unique design and wonderful construction techniques, architectural experts, both domestic and foreign, call it an architectural gem.
Features of Yingxian Wooden Pagoda
The pagoda is a stereoscopic temple built along vertical space. It takes the shape of an octagon in plan with five floors and six eaves, and is supported by two circles of columns. The outer peripheral column is surrounded by corridor columns, a classical arrangement recorded in Yingzaofashi (Treatise on Architectural Methods). The entire wooden pagoda has nine floors in total, including four hidden floors and five open floors. The pagoda is a double-barrel wooden structure built with tenons and mortises, made up of three parts: base of the pagoda, main body and Tasha (the highest part of the pagoda). In 1961, the Yingxian County Wooden Pagoda was declared by the State Council as one of the first state priority protected sites.
As the only surviving wooden Buddha pagoda and the tallest in China, it displays the knowledge, skill and experience accumulated by clever workers over hundreds of years. The Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple is a shining example of the combination of Buddha pagoda and local Chinese wood-frame building, not only provides convincing evidence of the development of ancient Chinese wood-frame system, but also is a specimen of China's greatest achievement in the field of architecture and arts in the 11th century AD. In addition, a large number of Buddhist treasures such as Buddhist statues, wall paintings, sacred scriptures of Buddhism and Buddhist relics have been discovered in the pagoda, which demonstrates the prosperity of Buddhism in the Liao Dynasty.
