List of pagodas in Beijing
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This list of pagodas in Beijing comprises all Buddhist and Taoist
pagoda A pagoda is an Asian tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist but sometimes Taoist, ...
s erected within
Beijing Municipality } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
, an area which covers the city of Beijing as well as its surrounding districts and counties. The list includes some important pagodas that are no longer standing. Pagodas have been erected in the city of Beijing since at least the
Sui dynasty The Sui dynasty (, ) was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 581 to 618. The Sui unified the Northern and Southern dynasties, thus ending the long period of division following the fall of the Western Jin dynasty, and layi ...
(581–618). Many large-scale pagodas were erected during the
Liao dynasty The Liao dynasty (; Khitan: ''Mos Jælud''; ), also known as the Khitan Empire (Khitan: ''Mos diau-d kitai huldʒi gur''), officially the Great Liao (), was an imperial dynasty of China that existed between 916 and 1125, ruled by the Yelü ...
(907–1125), when Beijing was one of the four secondary capitals established by the
Khitans The Khitan people (Khitan small script: ; ) were a historical nomadic people from Northeast Asia who, from the 4th century, inhabited an area corresponding to parts of modern Mongolia, Northeast China and the Russian Far East. As a people desce ...
. Most of the pagodas built during the Liao dynasty are octagonal, solid pagodas made out of brick and stone, with multiple tiers of closely spaced eaves. Important examples of Liao pagodas in Beijing include the Tiankai pagoda (erected c.1110), the Yunju pagoda (erected c. 1118). and the Tianning pagoda (erected c. 1120). The latter pagoda is the oldest surviving major building in the city of Beijing. Beijing was promoted to be the principal capital of the Jurchen Jin dynasty (1115–1234) in 1153. The Jin capital was destroyed by the Mongols, under
Genghis Khan ''Chinggis Khaan'' ͡ʃʰiŋɡɪs xaːŋbr />Mongol script: ''Chinggis Qa(gh)an/ Chinggis Khagan'' , birth_name = Temüjin , successor = Tolui (as regent)Ögedei Khan , spouse = , issue = , house = Borjigin , ...
, in 1215, and no pagodas dating from this period survive within the city of Beijing. However, a group of five pagodas erected within a temple at Silver Mountain (銀山) near Beijing is still standing. During the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), Beijing was for the first time the capital of all China, and under the auspices of
Kublai Khan Kublai ; Mongolian script: ; (23 September 1215 – 18 February 1294), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizu of Yuan and his regnal name Setsen Khan, was the founder of the Yuan dynasty of China and the fifth khagan-emperor of th ...
the city (known as
Khanbaliq Khanbaliq or Dadu of Yuan () was the winter capital of the Yuan dynasty of China in what is now Beijing, also the capital of the People's Republic of China today. It was located at the center of modern Beijing. The Secretariat directly administ ...
in Mongolian or Dadu in Chinese) was rebuilt on a grander scale. Pagodas constructed during the Yuan dynasty include traditional Liao-style multi-eaved pagodas, such as the twin pagodas of Qingshou Temple (demolished in 1954). In addition, as the Mongolian rulers of the Yuan dynasty were patrons of
Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...
, this period saw the introduction of a new Tibetan style pagoda, painted white and in the shape of a stupa (or an inverted monk's begging bowl), often referred to as a dagoba. The fine example of a white dagoba at
Miaoying Temple The Miaoying Temple (), also known as the "White Stupa Temple" (), is a Chinese Buddhist temple on the north side of Fuchengmennei Street in the Xicheng District of Beijing. The temple was a monastery of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism and is ...
was commissioned by Kublai Khan in 1271, and constructed under the supervision of the Nepali architect
Araniko Aniko, Anige or Araniko ( ne, अरनिको, zh, 阿尼哥; 1245–1306) was one of the key figures in the arts of Nepal and Yuan dynasty of China, and the artistic exchanges in these areas. He was born in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, durin ...
(Arginer). An unusual "straddling the street pagoda", consisting of an arch surmounted by three white dagobas was built by command of the last Yuan emperor,
Toghon Temür Toghon Temür ( mn, Тогоонтөмөр; Mongolian script: ; ; 25 May 1320 – 23 May 1370), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Huizong of Yuan () bestowed by the Northern Yuan dynasty and by his posthumous ...
, in 1342–1345, although now only the arch base is still standing. Beijing continued as the capital of China during most of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). A fine example of a Ming dynasty pagoda is the Pagoda of Cishou Temple, built in 1576 by the
Wanli Emperor The Wanli Emperor (; 4 September 1563 – 18 August 1620), personal name Zhu Yijun (), was the 14th Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigned from 1572 to 1620. "Wanli", the era name of his reign, literally means "ten thousand calendars". He was the ...
for the Empress Dowager Li, which is modelled on the Liao dynasty pagoda at Tianning Temple. Beijing was the capital of China throughout the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). Like the Mongolians during the Yuan dynasty, the
Manchu The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) and ...
rulers of the Qing dynasty were patrons of Tibetan Buddhism, and so the Qing dynasty saw the erection of further examples of Tibetan-style white dagobas, including examples at Dajue Temple and on an island in Beihai Park. Other examples of pagodas from this period include the Duobao Glazed Pagoda in the
Summer Palace The Summer Palace () is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing. It was an imperial garden in the Qing dynasty. Inside includes Longevity Hill () Kunming Lake and Seventeen Hole Bridge. It covers an expanse of , three-quarter ...
, which is covered in glazed statuettes of a buddhas. During the 20th century, some pagodas in Beijing were destroyed by war, particularly during the
Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...
(1937–1945). After the founding of the
People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
in 1949, a new era of modernization threatened the survival of many ancient buildings and structures in Beijing. Despite the vocal protests of the architect
Liang Sicheng Liang Sicheng (; 20 April 1901 – 9 January 1972) was a Chinese architect and architectural historian, known as the father of modern Chinese architecture. His father, Liang Qichao, was one of the most prominent Chinese scholars of the early 20t ...
, a pair of famous pagodas in the centre of the city (the twin pagodas of Qingshou Temple), built during the Yuan dynasty, were demolished in 1954 so that
Chang'an Avenue 250px, Chang'an Avenue hosts military parades. Here are 1999 National Day parade.">50th anniversary of the People's Republic of China">1999 National Day parade. Chang'an Avenue (), literally "Eternal Peace Street", is a major thoroughfare in ...
could be enlargened.


List of pagodas


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References

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External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:List of pagodas in Beijing
Pagodas A pagoda is an Asian tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist but sometimes Taoist, ...
Pagodas in China
Pagodas A pagoda is an Asian tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist but sometimes Taoist, ...
Pagodas A pagoda is an Asian tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist but sometimes Taoist, ...
Pagodas A pagoda is an Asian tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist but sometimes Taoist, ...
Pagodas in Beijing