Guangsheng Temple Pagoda

Guangsheng Temple Pagoda

Guangsheng Temple Pagoda is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Era: Liao Dynasty

Address: Within Yixian County, Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province

This pagoda was built during the Kaibao era of the Liao Dynasty (1020 AD) and is one of the ancient pagodas in northern China that was constructed early and has been well preserved. Built during the Kaibao era of the Liao Dynasty (1020 AD), it is one of the ancient pagodas in northern China that was constructed early and has been well preserved.

The architectural form of the pagoda is an octagonal solid, dense-eave style, with thirteen stories and a height of approximately 42.5 meters. The base is a regular octagon, each side 6 meters long and 2.9 meters high. Its original form is no longer discernible; it has now been reinforced with a flat plaster finish to create a smoothed profile.

The pedestal is of the Sumeru style, with equal-length sides forming an octagon, occupying about one-fifth of the pagoda’s total height, and featuring a relatively broad waist section. In the middle, there are gray brick reliefs of celestial musicians approximately 50 centimeters high, intricately and delicately carved. Some are dancing, some are holding instruments such as flutes and pipes, and others are playing kettledrums. On the upper fillet, each face features a relief of a crouching, head-raising lion beast supporting the structure, standing on the waist section and bearing the upper beam and the base slab (i.e., the lotus pedestal). At each corner, there is a carving of a majestic, armored and helmeted guardian deity wielding weapons. The lower beam and lower fillet are adorned with cloud-and-grass pattern reliefs. The upper beam and base slab are combined to form an upward-facing lotus design that supports the body of the pagoda. The pagoda body is built upon the base lotus pedestal, with carvings on all eight sides. On the main southern face, at the central point between the west corner pillar, there is an arched niche door housing a bodhisattva seated on a lotus pedestal, with hands in a mudra gesture, wearing a precious crown. On either side stands an attendant, draped in monastic robes, also wearing crowns, with hands hanging down, standing beneath their own brick-carved canopies, with halos behind them—exquisitely detailed and graceful in form. Though the postures on the other faces vary slightly, they are largely similar—for example, the hand gestures of the seated buddhas differ, with some hanging down and others in prayer position.

In May 2013, Guangsheng Temple Pagoda was announced as part of the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Scenic Location

South Street, Yixian County, Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Liaoning Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units