Tianning Temple Pagoda: Liang Sicheng came to inspect it personally

Zhengding, Hebei is a city with a long history. Many ancient buildings and historical relics are preserved in the ancient city. There is a Tianning Temple in the ancient city of Zhengding. The pagoda is majestic and magnificent. The famous architect Liang Sicheng once came here to inspect it. Zhengding Tianning Temple, formerly known as Dazangyuan, was built at the same time as Lingxiao Pagoda during the Xiantong period of Emperor Yizong of the Tang Dynasty (860-874 AD). At that time, the temple was large and magnificent, with major buildings such as the memorial archway, double gates, Hall of Heavenly Kings, front hall, back hall, and Lingxiao Pagoda arranged in sequence from south to north. Tianning Temple is now a national key cultural relic protection site. [Cute] The main building of Tianning Temple is Lingxiao Tower, and there are several pavilions outside the temple, which complement each other. The lower three floors of the Tower are all built with "ice tray-style platforms" to facilitate stability. Another very notable feature is the "core column" inside it, which supports the tower from the bottom to the top. On top of the pagoda body is the pagoda top which consists of a base, stupa bowl, upturned leaves, a wheel of Dharma, a canopy and a precious jewel. The entire tower looks majestic yet light and graceful. The existing tower body basically retains the architectural style of the Jin Dynasty, and its unique structural form is rare in ancient Chinese Buddhist pagoda architecture. The biggest feature of the Lingxiao Pagoda is that a wooden pillar reaching to the top of the tower is erected in the center of the fourth floor of the tower, and is connected to the outer eaves with eight radial beams. Such a structure is very beneficial to the stability of the tower. This was also a common method of building wooden pagodas in ancient times. However, not many examples have been preserved. Ancient building expert Luo Zhewen pointed out in his book "Ancient Chinese Pagodas": "Among the existing objects in my country, only the wooden pagoda of Tianning Temple in Zhengding has such a structure." [TeaDrinker]