Liaoyang White Pagoda

Liaoyang White Pagoda

The Liaoyang White Pagoda is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Liaoyang White Pagoda is located in Baita Park in Liaoyang City, Liaoning Province.

The exact date of the Liaoyang White Pagoda’s construction is unknown. However, judging from its architectural style and detailed workmanship, it closely resembles the Daguangji Temple Pagoda in Jinzhou and shares similarities with the Twin Pagodas in Beizhen. The Daguangji Temple Pagoda in Jinzhou has a confirmed construction date: it was built in the third year of the Qingning era (1057 AD) during the reign of Emperor Daozong of the Liao Dynasty, and the Twin Pagodas in Beizhen were built around the time spanning the reigns of Emperor Daozong and Emperor Tianzuo of the Liao Dynasty. Therefore, it can be inferred that the Liaoyang White Pagoda was also constructed during the Liao Dynasty. Although it has been repaired and expanded many times throughout history, the pagoda still preserves the appearance it had when it was first built.

The pagoda has an octagonal floor plan and stands thirteen stories tall, classified as a tightly-eaved brick pagoda. It reaches a total height of 70 meters, with a two-tiered base that shows some signs of damage, though the lower portion has been restored in later periods. The body of the pagoda tapers slightly with each ascending level. Each of its eight sides features a Buddha niche, inside which sits a carved Buddha flanked by two attendant bodhisattvas, all topped with a canopy and flying apsaras. Below the first eave, there are five-tiered brick carvings of bracket sets (dougong) that support the eaves. On the southern-facing bracket eye wall, four single-character wooden plaques—“流” (Flow), “光” (Light), “碧” (Jade-Green), and “汉” (Han)—added in later periods—are embedded. From the second eave upward, the eaves are built with corbelled brackets, and each level is adorned with ornaments such as wind bells and bronze mirrors. At the top of the pagoda are a finial pole, sacred jewel, and spire wheels. The Liaoyang White Pagoda boasts a rigorously structured, well-proportioned, and sturdy construction. During the powerful earthquake that struck Haicheng, Liaoning in 1975, the pagoda remained unscathed, a testament to its remarkable resilience. The overall design and intricate carvings of the pagoda exhibit a high level of artistic excellence. (National Cultural Heritage Administration)

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units