A pagoda is an Asian tiered tower with multiple

eaves The eaves are the edges of the roof which overhang the face of a wall and, normally, project beyond the side of a building. The eaves form an overhang to throw water clear of the walls and may be highly decorated as part of an architectural styl ...

common to Nepal, India,

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 ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, Korea,

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist but sometimes Taoist, and were often located in or near viharas. The pagoda traces its origins to the

stupa A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as ''śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation. In Buddhism, circumamb ...

of ancient India. Chinese pagodas () are a traditional part of Chinese architecture. In addition to religious use, since ancient times Chinese pagodas have been praised for the spectacular views they offer, and many classical poems attest to the joy of scaling pagodas. Chinese sources credit the Nepalese architect Araniko with introducing the pagoda to China. The oldest and tallest pagodas were built of wood, but most that survived were built of brick or stone. Some pagodas are solid with no interior. Hollow pagodas have no higher floors or rooms, but the interior often contains an altar or a smaller pagoda, as well as a series of staircases for the visitor to ascend and to witness the view from an opening on one side of each tier. Most have between three and 13 tiers (almost always an odd number) and the classic gradual tiered eaves.Steinhardt, 387. In some countries, the term may refer to other religious structures. In Vietnam and Cambodia, due to French translation, the English term ''pagoda'' is a more generic term referring to a

place of worship A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is somet ...

, although ''pagoda'' is not an accurate word to describe a Buddhist vihara. The architectural structure of the stupa has spread across Asia, taking on many diverse forms specific to each region. Many Philippine bell towers are highly influenced by pagodas through Chinese workers hired by the

Spaniards Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance peoples, Romance ethnic group native to Spain. Within Spain, there are a number of National and regional identity in Spain, national and regional ethnic identities that reflect the country's complex Hist ...

Etymology

One proposed etymology is from a South Chinese pronunciation of the term for an eight-cornered tower, , and reinforced by the name of a famous pagoda encountered by many early European visitors to China, the "Pázhōu tǎ" (), standing just south of Guangzhou at Whampoa Anchorage. Another proposed etymology is Persian ''butkada'', from ''but'', "idol" and ''kada'', "temple, dwelling." Yet another etymology is from the Sinhala word ''dāgaba'', derived from Sanskrit ''dhātugarbha'' or Pali ''dhātugabbha'': "relic womb/chamber" or "reliquary shrine", i.e. a

, by way of Portuguese.

History

The origin of the pagoda can be traced to the

(3rd century BCE). The stupa, a dome shaped monument, was used as a commemorative monument to house sacred relics and writings. In East Asia, the architecture of Chinese towers and

Chinese pavilion A Chinese pavilion (Chinese 亭, pinyin ''tíng'') is a garden pavilion in traditional Chinese architecture. While often found within temples, pavilions are not exclusively religious structures. Many Chinese parks and gardens feature pavilions to ...

s blended into pagoda architecture, eventually also spreading to Southeast Asia. Their construction was popularized by the efforts of

Buddhist missionaries Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

, pilgrims, rulers, and ordinary devotees to honor Buddhist relics. Japan has a total of 22 five-storied timber pagodas constructed before 1850.

China

The earliest styles of Chinese pagodas were square-base and circular-base, with

octagon In geometry, an octagon (from the Greek ὀκτάγωνον ''oktágōnon'', "eight angles") is an eight-sided polygon or 8-gon. A '' regular octagon'' has Schläfli symbol and can also be constructed as a quasiregular truncated square, t, whi ...

al-base towers emerging in the 5th–10th centuries. The highest Chinese pagoda from the pre-modern age is the

Liaodi Pagoda The Liaodi Pagoda () of Kaiyuan Monastery, Dingzhou, Hebei Province, China is the tallest existing pre-modern Chinese pagoda and tallest brick pagoda in the world, built in the 11th century during the Song dynasty (960–1279). The pagoda stands a ...

of Kaiyuan Monastery, Dingxian, Hebei, completed in the year 1055 AD under

Emperor Renzong of Song Emperor Renzong of Song (30 May 1010 – 30 April 1063), personal name Zhao Zhen, was the fourth emperor of the Song dynasty of China. He reigned for about 41 years from 1022 to his death in 1063, and was the longest reigning Song dynasty empe ...

and standing at a total height of 84 m (275 ft). Although it no longer stands, the tallest pre-modern pagoda in Chinese history was the of Chang'an, built by

Emperor Yang of Sui Emperor Yang of Sui (隋煬帝, 569 – 11 April 618), personal name Yang Guang (), alternative name Ying (), Xianbei name Amo (), also known as Emperor Ming of Sui () during the brief reign of his grandson Yang Tong, was the second emperor of ...

, and possibly the short-lived 6th century

Yongning Pagoda The Yongning Pagoda or Yongning Temple () in Luoyang was one of the tallest buildings of the world from 516 AD to 534 AD. The timber-frame pagoda with a complete column grid and a stabilising masonry-core was built during the Northern W ...

( 永宁宝塔) of Luoyang at roughly 137 meter. The tallest pre-modern pagoda still standing is the Liaodi Pagoda. In April 2007 a new wooden pagoda Tianning Temple of Changzhou was opened to the public, the tallest in China, standing 154 m (505 ft).

Symbolism and geomancy

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

iconography Iconography, as a branch of art history, studies the identification, description and interpretation of the content of images: the subjects depicted, the particular compositions and details used to do so, and other elements that are distinct fro ...

is noticeable in

and other East Asian pagoda architectures. Also prominent is Buddhist iconography such as the image of the Shakyamuni and Gautama Buddha in the '' abhaya mudra.'' In an article on Buddhist elements in Han dynasty art, Wu Hung suggests that in these temples, Buddhist symbolism was fused with native Chinese traditions into a unique system of symbolism. Some believed reverence at pagodas could bring luck to students taking the Chinese civil service examinations. When a pagoda of Yihuang County in

Fuzhou Fuzhou (; , Fuzhounese: Hokchew, ''Hók-ciŭ''), alternately romanized as Foochow, is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian province, China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute t ...

collapsed in 1210, local inhabitants believed the disaster correlated with the recent failure of many exam candidates in the prefectural examinationsHymes, 30. The pagoda was rebuilt in 1223 and had a list inscribed on it of the recently successful examination candidates, in hopes that it would reverse the trend and win the county supernatural favor.

Architecture

Pagodas come in many different sizes, with taller ones often attracting lightning strikes, inspiring a tradition that the

finial A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature. In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...

decoration of the top of the structure can seize demons. Today many pagodas have been fitted with wires making the finial into a lightning rod. Wooden pagodas possess certain characteristics thought to resist earthquake damage. These include the friction damping and sliding effect of the complex wooden dougong joints, the structural isolation of floors, the effects of wide eaves analogous to a balancing toy, and the Shinbashira phenomenon that the center column is bolted to the rest of the superstructure. Pagodas traditionally have an odd number of levels, a notable exception being the eighteenth-century orientalist pagoda designed by Sir William Chambers at Kew Gardens in London. The pagodas in Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia are derived from Dravidian architecture. The pagodas in Himalayas are derived from

Kath kuni architecture Kath-Kuni is an indigenous construction technique prevalent in the isolated hills of northern India, especially in the region of Himachal Pradesh. ''Kath'' is devived from the Sanskrit word ''kashth'' meaning wood and ''kuni'' from the word ''kona' ...

, very different from Chinese and Japanese styles.

Construction materials

Wood

During the Southern and Northern Dynasties pagodas were mostly built of wood, as were other ancient Chinese structures. Wooden pagodas are resistant to earthquakes, and no Japanese pagoda has been destroyed by an earthquake, but they are prone to fire, natural rot, and insect infestation. Examples of wooden pagodas: *White Horse Pagoda at White Horse Temple, Luoyang. *

Futuci Pagoda Futuci Pagoda is a wooden Chinese pagodas, pagoda that was built in Xuzhou during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280) in China. References

Pagodas in China Wooden buildings and structures in China {{PRChina-religious-struct-stub ...

in Xuzhou, built in the Three Kingdoms period (c. 220–265). *Many of the pagodas in ''

Stories About Buddhist Temples in Luoyang Yang Xuanzhi () was a Chinese writer and translator of Mahayana Buddhist texts into the Chinese language, during the 6th century, under the Northern Wei Dynasty. Yang wrote "The Monasteries of Luoyang" () in 547. This text relates the introductio ...

'', a

Northern Wei Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei (), Tuoba Wei (), Yuan Wei () and Later Wei (), was founded by the Tuoba (Tabgach) clan of the Xianbei. The first of the Northern and Southern dynasties#Northern dynasties, Northern dynasties ...

text. The literature of subsequent eras also provides evidence of the domination of wooden pagoda construction. The famous Tang dynasty poet, Du Mu, once wrote: :''480 Buddhist temples of the Southern Dynasties,'' :''uncountable towers and pagodas stand in the misty rain.'' The oldest standing fully wooden pagoda in China today is the

Pagoda of Fugong Temple The Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple () of Ying County, Shanxi province, China, is a wooden Chinese pagoda built in 1056, during the Khitan-led Liao dynasty. The pagoda was built by Emperor Daozong of Liao (Hongji) at the site of his grandmot ...

in Ying County,

Shanxi Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...

, built in the 11th century during the Song/ Liao dynasty (see Song Architecture).

Transition to brick and stone

During the

and Sui dynasties (386–618) experiments began with the construction of brick and stone pagodas. Even at the end of the Sui, however, wood was still the most common material. For example, Emperor Wen of 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 ...

(reigned 581–604) once issued a decree for all counties and prefectures to build pagodas to a set of standard designs, however since they were all built of wood none have survived. Only the

Songyue Pagoda The Songyue Pagoda (), constructed in AD 523, is located at the Songyue Monastery on Mount Song, in Henan province, China.Yetts, 124. Built during the Northern Wei Dynasty, this pagoda is one of the few intact sixth-century pagodas in China and is ...

has survived, a circular-based pagoda built out of stone in 523 AD.

Brick

The earliest extant brick pagoda is the 40-metre-tall

in Dengfeng Country, Henan.Steinhardt, 383. This curved, circle-based pagoda was built in 523 during the Northern Wei Dynasty, and has survived for 15 centuries. Much like the later pagodas found during the following Tang Dynasty, this temple featured tiers of eaves encircling its frame, as well as a spire crowning the top. Its walls are 2.5 m thick, with a ground floor diameter of 10.6 m. Another early brick pagoda is the

Guoqing Pagoda built in 597.

Stone

The earliest large-scale stone pagoda is a Four Gates Pagoda at Licheng, Shandong, built in 611 during the

. Like the Songyue Pagoda, it also features a spire at its top, and is built in the pavilion style.

Brick and stone

One of the earliest brick and stone pagodas was a three-storey construction built in the (first) Jin Dynasty (266–420), by Wang Jun of Xiangyang. However, it is now destroyed. Brick and stone went on to dominate

Tang Tang or TANG most often refers to: * Tang dynasty * Tang (drink mix) Tang or TANG may also refer to: Chinese states and dynasties * Jin (Chinese state) (11th century – 376 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, called Tang (唐) b ...

, Song, Liao and Jin Dynasty pagoda construction. An example is the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda (652 AD), built during the early Tang Dynasty. The Porcelain Pagoda of Nanjing has been one of the most famous brick and stone pagoda in China throughout history. The Zhou dynasty started making the ancient pagodas about 3,500 years ago.

De-emphasis over time

Pagodas, in keeping with the tradition of the White Horse Temple, were generally placed in the center of temples until the Sui and

dynasties. During the Tang, the importance of the main hall was elevated and the pagoda was moved beside the hall, or out of the temple compound altogether. In the early Tang,

Daoxuan Daoxuan (; 596–667) was an eminent Tang dynasty Chinese Buddhist monk. He is perhaps best known as the patriarch of the Four-part Vinaya school (). Daoxuan wrote both the ''Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks'' (Xù gāosēng zhuàn 續高 ...

wrote a ''

Standard Design for Buddhist Temple Construction ''Standard Design for Buddhist Temple Construction'' is a Chinese language text written by Daoxuan in the early Tang Dynasty. It described a design for Buddhist temples influenced by mainstream Chinese architecture, and based upon a traditional lay ...

'' in which the main hall replaced the pagoda as the center of the temple. The design of temples was also influenced by the use of traditional Chinese residences as shrines, after they were philanthropically donated by the wealthy or the pious. In such pre-configured spaces, building a central pagoda might not have been either desirable or possible. In the Song dynasty (960–1279), the

Chan Chan may refer to: Places *Chan (commune), Cambodia *Chan Lake, by Chan Lake Territorial Park in Northwest Territories, Canada People *Chan (surname), romanization of various Chinese surnames (including 陳, 曾, 詹, 戰, and 田) *Chan Caldwel ...

(Zen) sect developed a new 'seven part structure' for temples. The seven parts—the Buddha hall, dharma hall, monks' quarters, depository, gate, pure land hall and toilet facilities—completely exclude pagodas, and can be seen to represent the final triumph of the traditional Chinese palace/courtyard system over the original central-pagoda tradition established 1000 years earlier by the White Horse Temple in 67. Although they were built outside of the main temple itself, large pagodas in the tradition of the past were still built. This includes the two Ming dynasty pagodas of Famen Temple and the Chongwen Pagoda in Jingyang of Shaanxi. A prominent, later example of converting a palace to a temple is Beijing's Yonghe Temple, which was the residence of Yongzheng Emperor before he ascended the throne. It was donated for use as a lamasery after his death in 1735.

Styles of eras

Han Dynasty

Examples of Han Dynasty era tower architecture predating Buddhist influence and the full-fledged Chinese pagoda can be seen in the four pictures below. Michael Loewe writes that during the Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD) period, multi-storied towers were erected for religious purposes, as astronomical observatories, as watchtowers, or as ornate buildings that were believed to attract the favor of spirits, deities, and immortals. Image:Pottery tower 6.JPG, Ancient Chinese model of two residential towers, made of

earthenware Earthenware is glazed or unglazed nonvitreous pottery that has normally been fired below . Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious to liquids by coating it with a ce ...

during the Han dynasty, 2nd century BC to 2nd century AD, excavated by archaeologists in 1993 File:Han Dynasty pottery tower2.JPG, Side view of a Han pottery tower model with a mid-floor balcony and a courtyard gatehouse flanked by smaller towers; the '' dougong'' support brackets are clearly visible. File:Nswag, dinastia han occidentale, modellino funebre di una torre d'avvistamento 02.JPG, A Western-Han model of a watchtower with human figures on its balconies (including crossbowmen) and a gatehouse and courtyard on the first floor Image:Earthenware architecture models, Eastern Han Dynasty, 1.JPG, Among a large set of architectural models, three Eastern Han Dynasty watchtowers stand in the rear of this display

Sui and Tang

Pagodas built during the Sui and Tang Dynasty usually had a square base, with a few exceptions such as the Daqin Pagoda: Image:Four gates pagoda shandong 2006 09.jpg, Four Gates Pagoda, built in 611. File:Da Qin Pagoda.jpg, The Daqin Pagoda, built in 640. Image:Xi'anwildgoosepagoda2.JPG, The Small Wild Goose Pagoda, built in 709. File:Baoguangsi.jpg, Pagoda of the

Baoguang Temple The Baoguang Temple () is located in Xindu district 18 km north of Chengdu, Sichuan province, China. It was founded during the Tang dynasty. The temple is listed as an architecture of national heritage and major conservation. It is situated o ...

, built between 862 and 888.

Dali kingdom

Image:Threepagodas.jpg, The

Three Pagodas The Three Pagodas of the Chongsheng Temple () are an ensemble of three independent pagodas arranged on the corners of an equilateral triangle, near the old town of Dali, Yunnan province, China, dating from the time of the Kingdom of Nanzhao and ...

, 9th and 10th centuries.

Song, Liao, Jin, Yuan

Pagodas of the Five Dynasties, Northern and Southern Song, Liao, Jin, and Yuan Dynasties incorporated many new styles, with a greater emphasis on hexagonal and octagonal bases for pagodas: File:Pagoda Yunyan Ta.jpg, The

Huqiu Tower The Tiger Hill Pagoda, more officially the Yunyan Pagoda (; Suzhou Wu: Yuin nge zy thaeh, or ; Suzhou Wu: Hou chieu thaeh, ), also sometimes translated as Huqiu Tower, is a Chinese pagoda situated on Tiger Hill in Suzhou city, Jiangsu Provinc ...

, built in 961. File:Longhua Pagoda.JPG,

Longhua Pagoda ] Longhua Pagoda (龙华塔) is an octagonal wood and brick pagoda located in Xuhui District, Shanghai, East China. It is thought to have been first built during the Three Kingdoms Period (East Wu), but the existing tower structure was built durin ...

, built in 977. File:The Fugong Temple Wooden Pagoda.jpg, Pagoda of Fogong Temple, built in 1056. File:Dingzhou Liaodi Pagoda 2.jpg, The

, built in 1055 File:Pagoda at Lingyan Si.jpg,

Pizhi Pagoda The Pizhi Pagoda () is an 11th-century Chinese pagoda located at Lingyan Temple, Changqing, near Jinan, Shandong province, China. Although originally built in 753 during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (r. 712–756), the present pagoda ...

, built by 1063. File:Haotian pagoda.jpg,

Haotian Pagoda Haotian Pagoda () or Liangxiang Pagoda () is an octagonal brick pagoda situated in Haotian park in the Fangshan District of Beijing. It has 5 octahedral shaped hollow tiers and is 36m high. Originally constructed during Sui dynasty, the pagoda h ...

, built in 1103. File:Tianning Pagoda 1.JPG, Pagoda of Tianning Temple in Beijing, 1120. File:Chengling pagoda.JPG, The Chengling Pagoda, built in 1189. File:Wuhan Wuying Ta 2012.11.21 10-44-59.jpg,

Wuying Pagoda The Wuying Pagoda (), also known as the Xingfu Temple Pagoda () and The Thousand Year-Old Pagoda of Wuhan (), is a Buddhist pagoda in Wuchang, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Built of stone 750 years ago during the final years of the Southern Song ...

, built in 1270. File:BailinTemple2.jpg,

Pagoda of Bailin Temple The Pagoda of Bailin Temple ( or ), is located in Zhao County, Hebei. It is an octagonal-based brick Chinese pagoda built in 1330 during the reign of Emperor Wenzong, ruler of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. Bailin Monastery The Bailin Monastery ...

, built by 1330. File:Square Tower of Songjiang.jpg, The

Square Tower of Songjiang In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90-degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length adj ...

, Shanghai, built in 1884. File:Flower Pagoda dli dpa 000 16187 cor.jpg, Photographer unknown,
Flower Pagoda Guangzhou
" n.d.

Ming and Qing

Pagodas in the Ming and Qing Dynasties generally inherited the styles of previous eras, although there were some minor variations: Image:Jgbzt.jpg,

Zhenjue Temple The Five Pagoda Temple (), formally known as the "Temple of the Great Righteous Awakening" () or "Zhenjue Temple" () for short, is a Ming dynasty Buddhist temple located in Haidian District, Beijing, China. Architecture The temple has a square f ...

, built in 1473. Image:Cishou_Temple_Pagoda.JPG, The

Pagoda of Cishou Temple The Pagoda of Cishou Temple (), originally known as Yong'anwanshou Pagoda (), is a 16th-century stone and brick Chinese pagoda located in the Buddhist Cishou Temple of Balizhuang, a suburb of Beijing. Description This octagonal-shaped pagoda is r ...

, built in 1576. Image:Great White Pagoda1.JPG, The Sarira Stupa of Tayuan Temple, built in 1582 Image:Fragrant Hills-pagoda.JPG, The

Fragrant Hills Pagoda The Fragrant Hills Pagoda () of the Fragrant Hills in Beijing, China was built in 1780 during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1735–1796) as part of the Grand Zongjing Monastery. Although the monastery located just north of the pagoda w ...

, built in 1780.

Some notable pagodas

Tiered towers with multiple eaves: * Dâu Pagoda,

Bắc Ninh Bắc Ninh () is a city in the northern part of Vietnam and is the capital of Bắc Ninh province. The city is the cultural, administrative and commercial center of the province. The city area is 82.60 square km, with a population of 501,199 in N ...

, Vietnam, built in 187. * Changu Narayan Temple,

Bhaktapur , motto = ne, पुर्खले सिर्जेको सम्पत्ती, हाम्रो कला र संस्कृति , lit=Creation of our ancestors, our heritage and culture , image_map ...

, Nepal originally built in 4th century CE, rebuilt in 1702. * Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu, Nepal built in the 5th century. *

Trấn Quốc Pagoda Trấn Quốc Pagoda ( vi, Chùa Trấn Quốc, chữ Nôm: 𫴶鎭國), the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi, is located on a small island near the southeastern shore of Hanoi's West Lake, Vietnam. History The Trấn Quốc Pagoda in Hanoi is ...

, Hanoi, Vietnam, built in 545. *

on Mount Song, Henan, China, built in 523. *

Mireuksa Mireuksa was the largest Buddhist temple in the ancient Korean kingdom of Baekje. The temple was established in 602 by King Mu and is located 36.012083 N, 127.031028 E, modern Iksan, North Jeolla Province, South Korea. The site was excavated in ...

at Iksan, Korea, built in the early 7th century. *

Bunhwangsa Bunhwangsa ("Fragrant Imperial Temple") is a temple complex from the Old Silla era of Korea. It is located in Gyeongju. The temple is recorded to have been built in 634 under the auspices of Queen Seondeok. Today the temple is still used by a ...

Gyeongju Gyeongju ( ko, 경주, ), historically known as ''Seorabeol'' ( ko, 서라벌, ), is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, ...

, Korea, built in 634. *

Xumi Pagoda The Xumi Pagoda () or Sumeru Pagoda, also known as Summer Pagoda is a Chinese pagoda of the Buddhist Kaiyuan Monastery west of Zhengding, Hebei province, China. This square-base stone and brick pagoda was built in the year 636 AD during the reign ...

at Zhengding, Hebei, China, built in 636. * Daqin Pagoda in China, built in 640. *

Bình Sơn Pagoda Bình Sơn Pagoda ( vi, Tháp Bình Sơn) is an 11-story terra cotta pagoda at the Vĩnh Khánh Temple in Vĩnh Phúc Province, Vietnam. It was built under the Trần dynasty and said to consist of 15 storeys in its original form. The pagoda is ...

of Vĩnh Khánh Temple, Vĩnh Phúc, Vietnam, built in the Trần Dynasty (about the 13th century). * Hwangnyongsa Wooden nine-story pagoda on Hwangnyongsa,

, Korea, built in 645. *Pagoda at Hōryū-ji, Ikaruga, Nara, Japan, built in the 7th century. * Sewu temple, just outside of Prambanan. Shailendra dynasty, 8th century * Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, built in Xi'an, China in 704. *Phổ Minh pagoda of

Phổ Minh Temple Phổ Minh Temple ( vi, Chùa Phổ Minh, Chữ Hán: 普明寺) is a Buddhist temple in Tức Mặc village, 5 kilometres north of Nam Định city, Vietnam, the home town of the Trần dynasty. History According to official historical document ...

, Vietnam was built in 1305. * Small Wild Goose Pagoda, built in Xi'an, China in 709. * Seokgatap on Bulguksa,

, Korea, built in 751. * Dabotap on Bulguksa,

, Korea, built in 751. * Tiger Hill Pagoda, built in 961 outside of

Suzhou Suzhou (; ; Suzhounese: ''sou¹ tseu¹'' , Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Soochow, is a major city in southern Jiangsu province, East China. Suzhou is the largest city in Jiangsu, and a major economic center and focal point of trade ...

, China. * Muara Takus, built in the 11th century in Central Sumatra under the

Sriwijaya Empire Srivijaya ( id, Sriwijaya) was a Buddhist thalassocratic empire based on the island of Sumatra (in modern-day Indonesia), which influenced much of Southeast Asia. Srivijaya was an important centre for the expansion of Buddhism from the 7th t ...

Lingxiao Pagoda 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 ...

at Zhengding, Hebei, China, built in 1045. * Iron Pagoda of Kaifeng, built in 1049, during the Song dynasty. *

of Dingzhou, built in 1055 during the Song dynasty * Pagoda of Fogong Temple, built in 1056 in Ying County,

, China. *

of Lingyan Temple, Shandong, China, 11th century. * Bahal temple of North Sumatra, Pannai kingdom, 11th century. *

Beisi Pagoda The Beisi Pagoda (; Suzhou Wu: Poh zy thaeh, ) or North Temple Pagoda is a Chinese pagoda located at Bao'en Temple in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. The base of the pagoda has an octagonal frame, and the tower rises nine stories in a total he ...

, Jiangsu, China, built in 1162. * Liuhe Pagoda of Hangzhou, built in 1165, during the Song dynasty. *

Ichijō-ji is a Buddhist temple of the Tendai sect in Kasai, Hyōgo, Japan. It was first established in 650 at Emperor Kōtoku's request, and the temple complex and buildings have undergone several periods of destruction and reconstruction since its ...

, Kasai, Hyōgo, Japan, built in 1171. *

Jabung Jabung is a 14th-century Buddhist temple dated from Majapahit era, located in the Jabung Sisir village (''desa''), Paiton area, Probolinggo district, East Java, Indonesia. The temple is made from red brick measuring 16.20 metres. The temple was ...

, built in East Java under the Majapahit Empire in the 14th century * The Porcelain Tower of Nanjing, built between 1402 and 1424, a wonder of the medieval world in Nanjing, China. *

Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda The Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda () is the only surviving ancient pagoda in Hong Kong near MTR Tin Shui Wai station and Light Rail Tin Shui Wai stop. It is part of the Ping Shan Heritage Trail and a declared monument. History According to Tang Clan ...

Ping Shan Ping Shan () is an area in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It is located west of Yuen Long Town and Shui Pin Wai, and south of Tin Shui Wai. Administratively, it is part of the Yuen Long District. Geography Although sandwiched between Yuen L ...

, Hong Kong, built in 1486. *

Bajrayogini Temple Bajrayogini Temple is a Tantric Buddhist temple located at Sankhu in Nepal's Kathmandu Valley. It is also well known as Bodhisattva's Temple. The temple is actually a sort of temple complex, with the main temple having been built by King Pratap ...

, Kathmandu, Nepal, built in 16th century by

Pratap Malla Pratap Malla (1624–74 A.D.) was King of Kantipur from 1641 until his death in 1674. He attempted to unify Kathmandu Valley by conquering Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, but failed in the effort. He was successful in extending and securing the borders ...

. * Taleju Temple,a temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, built in 1564. *

Gokarneshwor Mahadev temple Gokarna Mahadev (The Gods of Gokarna) or Gokarneshwor Mahadev Temple (The Lord of Gokarna) is an important Nepali temple, situated near the village of Gokarna, several kilometers northeast of Bodhnath in the Kathmandu Valley. Within the temple' ...

, Nepal, built in 1582. * Pazhou Pagoda on Whampoa (Huangpu) Island, Guangzhou (Canton), China, built in 1600. *Phước Duyên Pagoda of

Thiên Mụ Temple The Thiên Mụ Temple (meaning Temple of the Celestial Lady, vi, Chùa Thiên Mụ; also called ''Linh Mụ Temple'') is a historic temple in the city of Huế in Vietnam. Its iconic seven-story Phước Duyên pagoda is regarded as the unoffic ...

, in Huế, Vietnam, built in 1844. * Palsangjeon, a five-story pagoda at

Beopjusa Beopjusa ( ko, 법주사 or Beopju temple) is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It is situated on the slopes of Songnisan, within Songnisan National Park, in Naesongni-myeon, Boeun County, in the province of Chungcheongbuk-do, S ...

, Korea built in 1605. * Tō-ji, the tallest wooden structure in Kyoto, Japan, built in 1644. * Nyatapola at

Kathmandu Valley The Kathmandu Valley ( ne, काठमाडौं उपत्यका; also known as the Nepal Valley or Nepa Valley ( ne, नेपाः उपत्यका, Nepal Bhasa: 𑐣𑐾𑐥𑐵𑑅 𑐐𑐵𑑅, नेपाः गाः)), ...

built during 1701–1702. *The Great Pagoda at Kew Gardens, London, UK, built in 1762. * Reading Pagoda of

Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Reddin'') is a city in and the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city had a population of 95,112 as of the 2020 census and is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania after Philade ...

, built in 1908. *

Kek Lok Si The Kek Lok Si Temple () is a Buddhist temple situated in Air Itam, Penang, Malaysia. It is the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia, and is also an important pilgrimage centre for Buddhists from Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore and othe ...

's main pagoda in

Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...

, Malaysia, exhibits a combination of Chinese, Burmese and

Thai Thai or THAI may refer to: * Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia ** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand ** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand *** Thai script *** Thai (Unicode block ...

Buddhist architecture, built in 1930. *Seven-storey Pagoda in

Chinese Garden The Chinese garden is a landscape garden style which has evolved over three thousand years. It includes both the vast gardens of the Chinese emperors and members of the imperial family, built for pleasure and to impress, and the more intimate ...

Jurong East Jurong East is a planning area and residential town situated in the West Region of Singapore. It borders Jurong West and Boon Lay to the west, Clementi to the east, Tengah and Bukit Batok to the north and Selat Jurong to the south. First ...

, Singapore, built in 1975. *

Dragon and Tiger Pagodas The Dragon and Tiger Pagodas () is a temple located at Lotus Lake in Zuoying District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The temple was built in 1976. One of the towers is the ''Tiger'' Tower, the other one being the ''Dragon'' tower. Both towers are seven ...

Kaohsiung Kaohsiung City (Mandarin Chinese: ; Wade–Giles: ''Kao¹-hsiung²;'' Pinyin: ''Gāoxióng'') is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsi ...

, Taiwan, built in 1976. *The pagoda of

Japan Pavilion at Epcot The Japan Pavilion is a Japanese-themed pavilion that is part of the World Showcase, within Epcot at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, United States. Its location is between The American Adventure and Morocco Pavilions. History The Japan ...

, Florida, built in 1982. *Pagoda of Tianning Temple, the tallest pagoda in the world since its completion in April 2007, stands at 153.7 m in height. *

Nepalese Peace Pagoda The Nepal Peace Pagoda in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, is located at the transformed Brisbane World Expo '88 site, South Bank Parklands. It is one of the most significant heritage items in Brisbane from the hosting of the Expo. It is the o ...

in Brisbane, Australia built for the World Expo '88. * Pagoda Avalokitesvara, Indonesia, tallest pagoda in Indonesia, stands at 45 meters built in 2004. *

Sun and Moon Pagodas The Sun and Moon Pagodas (日月双塔, Rìyuè Shuāngtǎ) are twin pagodas located in Guilin, Guangxi, China. Originally built in the city moat of Guilin during the Tang dynasty, the pagodas were reconstructed in 2001 using historical records ...

in Guilin, Guangxi, China, twin pagodas on

Shan Lake Shan may refer to: People *Shan (surname), or 单 in Chinese, a Chinese surname *Shan, a variant of the Welsh given name usually spelled Siân *Occasionally used as a short form of Shannen/ Shannon Ethnic groups *Shan people, Southeast Asian e ...

, originally built in the 10th century and reconstructed using historical description on the original foundation in 2001.

Stupa A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as ''śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation. In Buddhism, circumamb ...

s called "pagodas": * Global Vipassana Pagoda, the largest unsupported domed stone structure in the world. * Mingun Pahtodawgyi, a monumental uncompleted stupa began by King Bodawpaya in 1790. If completed, it would be the largest in the world at 150 meters. *

Pha That Luang Pha That Luang ( lo, ທາດຫຼວງ or ພຣະທາດຫລວງ; 'Great Stupa') is a gold-covered large Buddhist stupa in the centre of the city of Vientiane, Laos. Since its initial establishment, suggested to be in the 3rd century ...

, the holiest wat, pagoda, and stupa in Laos, in Vientiane *

Phra Pathommachedi Phra Pathommachedi or Phra Pathom Chedi ( th, พระปฐมเจดีย์) is a Buddhist stupa in Thailand. The stupa is located in the Wat Phra Pathommachedi Ratcha Wora Maha Wihan ( th, วัดพระปฐมเจดีย์� ...

the highest pagoda or stupa in Thailand Nakhon Pathom, Thailand. * Shwedagon Pagoda, a gilded pagoda and

located in Yangon, Myanmar. It is the most sacred Buddhist pagoda for the Burmese with relics of the past four

Buddhas In Buddhism, Buddha (; Pali, Sanskrit: 𑀩𑀼𑀤𑁆𑀥, बुद्ध), "awakened one", is a title for those who are awake, and have attained nirvana and Buddhahood through their own efforts and insight, without a teacher to point out ...

enshrined within. * Shwezigon Pagoda in

Nyaung-U Nyaung-U ( my, ညောင်ဦးမြို့) is the administrative town of Nyaung-U Township of Nyaung-U District in the Mandalay Region of central Myanmar. It lies on the eastern bank of Ayeyarwaddy River. It is just 4 kilometers away ...

, Myanmar. Completed during the reign of King Kyanzittha in 1102, it is a prototype of Burmese stupas. * Uppatasanti Pagoda, a 325-foot tall landmark in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, built from 2006 to 2009, which houses a Buddha tooth relic. Places called "pagoda" but which are not tiered structures with multiple eaves: * One Pillar Pagoda: Hanoi, Vietnam, is an icon of Vietnamese culture; it was built in 1049, destroyed, and rebuilt in 1954. Structures that evoke pagoda architecture: *The

Dragon House Dragon House (German ''Drachenhaus'') is a historical building in Potsdam, Germany, built by King Frederick the Great of Prussia on the southern slope of the Klausberg, which borders the northern edge of Sanssouci Park. It was constructed betwe ...

of Sanssouci Park, which is an eighteenth-century German attempt at imitating Chinese architecture. *The Panasonic Pagoda, or Pagoda Tower, at the

Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an automobile racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Verizon 200, and and formerly the home of the United State ...

. This 13-story pagoda, used as the control tower for races such as the Indy 500, has been transformed several times since it was first built in 1913. * Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai, built between 1994 and 1999. * Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the

tallest buildings in the world This list of tallest buildings includes skyscrapers with continuously occupiable floors and a height of at least . Nonbuilding structure, Non-building structures, such as towers, are not included in this list (for these, see ''List of tallest ...

from 1998 to 2004 * Taipei 101 in Taiwan, record setter for height (508m) in 2004 and currently (2021) the world's tenth tallest completed building. Structures not generally thought of as pagodas, but which have some pagoda-like characteristics: *The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests at the Temple of Heaven *

Wongudan Hwangudan Altar, located in Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea, was built in 1897 to serve as a site for the performance of the rite of heaven. The site was also known by other names, such as Wongudan (원구단, ), Jecheondan (제천단, ) and Wonda ...

Altar in Korea File:Iron Pagoda d.JPG, The Iron Pagoda of Kaifeng, China, built in 1049 File:Five tier pagoda at Mt. Haguro 2006-10-29.jpg, Five-story pagoda of

Mount Haguro is one of the Three Mountains of Dewa in the city of Tsuruoka, the ancient province of Dewa (a domain consisting of modern-day Yamagata Prefecture and Akita Prefecture), Japan. As the lowest of the three mountains, standing at , it is the only ...

, Japan File:Ichijoji Kasai13bs4272.jpg, Wooden three-story pagoda of

in Japan, built in 1171 File:Nieuhof-Ambassade-vers-la-Chine-1665 0755.tif, Yingde pagoda, Qingyuan, Guangdong Province, China, from Johan Nieuhof (1618–1672); Jean-Baptiste Le Carpentier (1606 – c. 1670): L'ambassade de la Compagnie Orientale des Provinces Unies vers l'Empereur de la Chine, 1665 File:Chua Mot Cot.jpg, One Pillar Pagoda, Hanoi, Vietnam. File:Zhengding Kaiyuan Temple 1.jpg, The nine-story

, Hebei, China, built in 636 File:Nyatapola Temple.JPG, Nyatapola Temple located in

, Nepal, built in 1701–1702 File:101.red-dusk.altonthompson.jpg, Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan File:Indy Pagoda.JPG, The Bombardier Pagoda at the

File:Shwedagon-Pano.jpg, Shwedagon Pagoda located in Yangon, Myanmar. The whole structure is coated with 60 tons of pure gold File:Pagoda Mumbai 2009.jpg, Pagoda Mumbai File:Buddha Tooth Relic Pagoda.JPG File:Peace pagoda -Sri Lanka.jpg, Peace Pagoda - Sri Lanka File:Sun and Moon Pagodas Guilin November 2017 HDR panorama.jpg, The Sun and Moon Pagodas lighted at night and reflected in Lake Shanhu in November 2017.

Notes

References

*Benn, Charles (2002). ''China's Golden Age: Everyday Life in the Tang Dynasty''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. . * Brook, Timothy. (1998). '' The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China''. Berkeley: University of California Press. * Fazio, Michael W., Moffett, Marian and Wodehouse, Lawrence.
A World History of Architecture
'. Published 2003. McGraw-Hill Professional. . *Fu, Xinian. (2002). "The Three Kingdoms, Western and Eastern Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties," in ''Chinese Architecture'', 61–90. Edited by Nancy S. Steinhardt. New Haven: Yale University Press. . * Govinda, A. B. ''Psycho-cosmic symbolism of the Buddhist stupa''. 1976, Emeryville, California. Dharma Publications. *Hymes, Robert P. (1986). Statesmen and Gentlemen: The Elite of Fu-Chou, Chiang-Hsi, in Northern and Southern Sung. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. . *Kieschnick, John. ''The Impact of Buddhism on Chinese Material Culture''. Published 2003. Princeton University Press . . *Loewe, Michael. (1968). ''Everyday Life in Early Imperial China during the Han Period 202 BC–AD 220''. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd.; New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. *Steinhardt, Nancy Shatzman (1997). ''Liao Architecture''. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.

External links

Oriental architecture.com

Culzean Pagoda (Monkey House) – the only stone built pagoda in Britain

"Why so few Japanese pagodas have ever fallen down"
('' The Economist'')
Chinese pagoda gallery (211 pics)

* ttp://www.china.org.cn/english/TR-e/43208.htm The Songyue Pagoda at China.org.cnbr>Structure of Pagodas, including the underground palace, base, body and steeple, at China.org.cnThe Herbert Offen Research Collection of the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum
{{Authority control * Buddhist buildings Buddhist temples Towers Buddhist architecture Chinese architectural history Japanese architectural history Architecture in Korea Architecture in Vietnam Building types Architecture in Nepal