Located outside Guang'anmen in Beijing, this pagoda is one of
the earliest tall buildings of the ancient capital and a valuable
memento of the Liao Dynasty.
Construction of the pagoda is estimated to have been between
1100 and 1120 towards the end of the Liao Dynasty. The octagonal
pagoda, 57.8 meters tall, sits upon a square platform. The bottom
of the pagoda is in the form of a huge Sumeru pedestal, decorated
with carved arch patterns. It is a typical pagoda of the Liao and
Kin period. Solid, without stairs inside or outside, the structure
and shape of the pagoda have remained the same since it was built,
though repairs have been made over the years. The later celebrated
Chinese architect Liang Sicheng praised the design of the pagoda as
having musical rhythm and as being a masterpiece of ancient
architectural design.
Address: Guanganmen Road, Xuanwu District,
Beijing
Tel: (+86 10) 6343 2507
Opening hours: Currently under Renovation;
closed indefinitely.
How to Get There: Bus No.9, 40, 42, 46, 47, 212
to Tianning Si
(China.org.cn August 24, 2007)
