The Leaning Pagoda of Fangshan in Nanjing

The Leaning Pagoda of Fangshan in Nanjing

The Leaning Pagoda of Fangshan in Nanjing is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Dinglin Temple Pagoda, located at the northwest foot of Fangshan Mountain in Jiangning District, Nanjing, is known as the Leaning Pagoda of Fangshan in Nanjing. The pagoda was originally built in the ninth year of the Qiandao era during the Southern Song Dynasty (1173 AD), stands approximately 14.50 meters tall, and is a seven-story, octagonal, brick structure designed to resemble wooden pavilion-style architecture.

The base level of the Leaning Pagoda of Fangshan is relatively high, with each side measuring 1.46 meters and a diameter of 3.45 meters. The interior of the first and second levels is square, while from the third level upward it becomes cylindrical. A wooden frame was installed on the fifth level to support the spire pole. Only the southern side of the base level has a door, with a central stone-carved Sumeru pedestal, and Buddha niches on the eastern, western, and northern sides. The other levels all have doors on four sides.

The body of the pagoda is constructed with bricks to imitate wooden structural pillars and brackets (dougong). Due to years of neglect, the eaves, pagoda top, and finial have been destroyed, and the body leans toward the north.

The current lean of the Leaning Pagoda of Fangshan has reached 7 degrees and 30 minutes, surpassing the world-famous Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy. The top of the pagoda has shifted 1.6 meters from the center of the base, making it precariously tilted. Built atop quicksand and scattered rocks, the pagoda has stood for nearly a thousand years without collapsing — truly a miracle.

During the Liang Dynasty, the first meditation site of Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, in China was established at the Xia Dinglin Temple.

The Buddhist community praises it as “Dinglin in the South, Shaolin in the North.” By the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Xia Dinglin Temple had flourishing incense offerings, with continuous additions to its temple buildings, resulting in a grand scale.