Kaifeng Chongshou Temple Pagoda

Kaifeng Chongshou Temple Pagoda

Chongshou Temple Pagoda in Kaifeng is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Chongshou Temple Pagoda, also known as Chongshou Chan Temple Pagoda, is situated in the southwest corner of old Kaifeng. It is built from brick, reaches a height of 20 zhang, has 13 tiers, and is a solid octahedral structure. Each side features Buddha statues that are distinct from one another. Starting from the south and moving southwest, the eight Buddhas are: Vairocana Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, Akshobhya Buddha, Sumeru Appearance Buddha, Cloud Freedom Buddha, Majestic King Buddha, Merit King Buddha, and Dhvaja Light Buddha. On either side are flying apsara reliefs, and at each corner are wooden eaves with hanging bronze bells. The top of the pagoda is conical, with five bronze spheres strung along it. The body of the pagoda has hundreds of bronze mirrors hung on various levels, and on the western side, there is a bronze drum. At sunrise, when the sun's rays reflect off the pagoda, its brilliance can be seen from miles away, making the ancient pagoda at dawn one of Kaifeng’s scenic highlights. The Chongshou Temple Pagoda derives its name from Chongshou Temple. Historical records indicate that it was built by Master Hongli of the Xuanhui Temple.

The old town’s Chongshou Temple Pagoda is a widely known ancient structure in Liaobei, affectionately referred to as the “Old Town Big Pagoda.” Standing 45.82 meters tall, it is an octagonal, thirteen-tiered, solid, dense-eave brick pagoda. This pagoda served as the stupa of Chongshou Chan Temple. Legend has it that it was built under the orders of Empress Xiao by Emperor Shizong of Liao, or alternatively, that it was the burial pagoda of Master Hongli, the National Preceptor of the early Jin Dynasty. However, historians still debate its actual construction date, leaving this an enduring mystery for later generations.

After a thousand years of vicissitudes, few ancient buildings remain in the old town. Only this ancient pagoda, like an old man weathered by time, bears witness to the transformations of the old town through the ages, thus holding special value in the development of the ancient city. In this round of applications for National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit status, only three ancient architectural sites in Liaoning Province were selected in the ancient architecture category, highlighting the significant historical status and influence of Chongshou Temple Pagoda.

In September 1963, Chongshou Temple Pagoda was listed among the first batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units in Liaoning Province.

On October 7, 2019, Kaifeng Chongshou Temple Pagoda was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units