Yingxian Wooden Pagoda—A millennium legacy, a building that moves
The Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, located within the Fogong Temple in Yingxian, Shuozhou. It was built over a period of 22 years from the fourth year of the Xingxi era (1035) to the second year of the Qingning era (1056) during the Liao Dynasty, and Emperor Daozong of Liao bestowed the name 'Sakyamuni Pagoda'. The wooden pagoda is the tallest and oldest existing all-wooden pagoda-style building in the world, and it is known as one of the 'Three Wonders of the World' alongside Italy's Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
It is said that the famous architect Mr. Liang Sicheng personally measured the dimensions of the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda: it stands 67.31 meters tall, with a diameter of 30.27 meters at the base, and a total weight of 7,430 tons. The pagoda consists of three parts: the base, the body, and the steeple, with the base further divided into upper and lower levels—the lower level being square and the upper octagonal. The body of the pagoda is octagonal, with five visible stories and six eaves, but in reality, it has five bright and four dark stories, totaling nine stories. The ingenuity of the wooden pagoda also lies in its dynamic characteristics; due to its combination of rigid and flexible architectural structures, the 24 outer columns can adjust their load-bearing capacity in response to changes in the Earth's crust, giving it the ability to move flexibly and avoid disasters on its own.
Throughout the course of history, the development of different religions, cultures, and ethnicities often carries traces of civilization's integration, rather than existing in isolation. As a Buddhist structure from the Liao Dynasty, the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda incorporates many elements of Taoism in its design and construction. Standing in front of the pagoda, one can clearly see that the orientation of the wooden pagoda completely corresponds with the pre-heaven Bagua diagram. Moreover, the pagoda does not use a traditional square structure but instead an octagonal frame, which enhances the stability of the building. This also aligns with the Taoist pursuit of harmony and balance. What we can also see is that the architecture of the Liao Dynasty abandoned the soft and delicate beauty of the Song Dynasty architecture of the same period, choosing instead to inherit the grandeur and passionate exuberance of the architecture of the prosperous Tang Dynasty, thus highlighting the rugged and majestic characteristics of the architecture of the northern Liao Dynasty, presenting a completely different style from the Holy Mother Hall of Jinci in Taiyuan under the Northern Song Dynasty, 230 kilometers away.
Within the five actual stories of the wooden pagoda, there are exquisite colored sculptures of Buddha. The style of the sculptures is very similar to those in the Baoji Teaching Hall of Huayan Temple in Datong, built in the seventh year of the Chongxi era (1038) of the Liao Dynasty, with vivid shapes, robust figures (which is completely different from the pursuit of delicate and clear features in the later Yungang Grottoes), and dignified faces. Although the interior sculptures have been weathered over a millennium and repaired and repainted over the generations, they still retain the original appearance of the Liao Dynasty sculptures. For example, the image of Sakyamuni in the first-floor hall has green beards and eyebrows, which is related to the Khitan men's practice of growing beards.
Every era has its unique culture. Up to the present, there are eight major wooden structures from the Liao Dynasty still in existence, namely the Guanyin Pavilion, the Dule Temple Gate, the Sakyamuni Pagoda, the Fengguo Temple, the Daxiong Hall, the Baoji Teaching Hall of Huayan Temple, the Kaishan Temple, and the Ge Yuan Temple. Mr. Liang Sicheng named them the 'Eight Great Liao Constructions'. A thousand years have passed, the Liao regime has long been extinguished, and the Khitan people have disappeared without a trace, but the porcelain they left behind, the buildings, the culture, and their stories are still here, telling future generations that they were once here.
The Buddha Palace Temple, the Sakya Tower, is the tallest and oldest pure wooden pavilion in the world. Looking up, like a lotus flower blooming in the sky, it still stands there for more than 900 years after the storm, it is a miracle given to us by time.
Be sure to buy tickets to see, close and far outside are completely different. Tickets are now bought and used, two yuan cheaper than offline. Although it was rainy on this day, it did not affect. The wooden tower is still very shocking, in fact, the tower is very large
One of the three major chitches in the world, no nails and no standing for thousands of years. Now you can only visit the first floor and you can't go to the tower, and you are not allowed to take pictures in the tower. It is necessary to follow the tour guide to listen to the introduction? The scenic spot is not big and it is worth visiting.
Very spectacular, if you drive by car, you have to park in the designated parking lot of the scenic spot, and you have to take the bus in the scenic spot, but it is free. There are a lot of people, and you have to make an appointment to buy a ticket. We didn't make an appointment because we went late, and we watched it below. It was also quite artistic, lamenting the technical excellence of the ancients.
The driver master is very enthusiastic, the landscape is very beautiful, very beautiful, the three-level Chong should be unparalleled, and the nine-sey respects the first level. Qimenguan, Huo went to the disease from here to start the battle of the desert north to make the Xiongnu escape, Yangjia will guard the town for more than 20 years, leading the Qilang and Bahu to a ten-guaranteed family to defend the country, Han Gao Zu Liu Bang out of the anus to be trapped in the white mountaineering. Yingxian wooden tower is also very beautiful.
Shanxi | One of the three major chits in the world at a glance at the Millennium·Yingxian Muta happened to be during the Spring Festival. The gate of the Muta was particularly lively. I felt that my heart was quiet when I saw the Muta. There were many Ma Yan flying next to it. It felt like crossing the millennium. I have been here more than 10 years ago, but I didn’t go up to visit. I visited it at the door. At that time, I could still climb the tower. Now I can only enter the first floor to visit. The wooden tower has a slight tilt.
Yingxian wooden tower. The world's three major chitas, one is the Italian Leaning Tower of Pisa, the second is the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the third is our China's Shijia Tower, that is, Yingxian wooden tower. There are two more famous, one is Junji Shengong, is the Ming Dynasty emperor Zhu Ying's own writing. One is the world's strange View, is the Ming Wuzong Zhu Houzhao book. It was built in Qingning, Liaoning for two years. It is the tallest and oldest, pure wooden structure in the world. It has been more than 1,000 years now. The whole tower is pure and structured, without a nail, so the wind and rain stand here, watching the prosperity of the world, Seeing the snubbing of the world. The gun and bullets can't stop his existence. How many literati ink visitors come here to watch. At this moment, I stand here, facing it, the breeze blows, the bells on the eaves ring, like telling me about this thousand years of history, it is time, It is history. It is enough to see it with your family today.
Among the attractions I visited recently, Yingxian wooden tower undoubtedly impressed me. This ancient wooden tower has become a precious memory in my heart with its long history, exquisite architectural skills and unique cultural connotation. First of all, I was shocked by the long history of Yingxian Muta. This wooden tower was built in the Liao Dynasty and has been around for nearly a thousand years. It witnessed the vicissitudes of Chinese history and carried countless stories and legends. Around the wooden tower, I seem to feel the weight and depth of history. Secondly, Yingxian wooden tower's exquisite architectural skills are breathtaking. This wooden tower is as high as 67.31 meters, equivalent to more than 20 floors in modern times. The entire wooden tower is made of all-wood structure, without a nail or any metal connector, but can stand for thousands of years. This superb architectural skill makes people have to admire the wisdom and ingenuity of the ancients. In addition to history and architectural skills, Yingxian wooden tower's unique cultural connotation also deeply attracted me. During the tour, I not only appreciated the exquisite wood carving art, but also the ancient culture and traditions. The interior of the wooden tower is dedicated to the Buddha statue and the scriptures, showing the deep heritage of Buddhist culture. Here, I feel the power of faith and the pursuit of art by mankind.