Liaocheng Iron Pagoda

Liaocheng Iron Pagoda

The Liaocheng Iron Pagoda is a national key cultural relic protection unit.

The Liaocheng Iron Pagoda, a key provincial cultural relic protection unit in Shandong Province and a tourist attraction in Liaocheng City.

The Liaocheng Iron Pagoda. In Liaocheng, there is a widely known folk rhyme: “Dongchangfu has three treasures: the Iron Pagoda, the Ancient Tower, and the Jade Emperor’s Pavilion.” The Iron Pagoda, regarded as the foremost of the Dongchang Three Treasures, is situated on the west bank of the canal in Dongguan, at the southeast corner of the former Huguo Longxing Temple. Originally constructed during the Northern Song Dynasty, it is the oldest existing structure in the city. The iron pagoda is an octagonal, wooden-style, tiered iron-cast Buddhist pagoda, currently consisting of 12 levels and standing 15.8 meters tall in total. It is composed of two main parts: the body and the base. The base is a square, asymmetrical stone-built Sumeru pedestal with unevenly stacked courses, standing 2.90 meters high, with a base edge length of 3.17 meters and covering an area of 10.50 square meters. The pedestal’s four corners feature cloud-like carvings, while the lower section of the body is adorned with bas-reliefs of musicians and dancers on all four sides—some standing, others dancing. At the southeast and southwest corners of the pedestal’s lower section are two fierce Vajra guardians, depicted with bulging bellies and angry expressions, kneeling with hands pressing their knees as if supporting the structure. The body of the pagoda is cast layer by layer in imitation of wooden architecture using cast iron, assembled section by section. The iron shell is hollow, with thickness ranging from 6 to 10 centimeters. The first level of the pagoda’s body has a diameter of 1.53 meters, with a band of ornamental inverted lotus petals around the base. The eight sides of the body feature four false doors and four false windows. The door lintels are adorned with four door pins, each with beveled square faces. The false doors include knockers and door studs, with the east and west doors designed as half-open. Levels two through seven have no door or window carvings, while levels eight through ten only feature lattice windows. Each level has corner pillars and bracket sets identical to those on the first level. Every level also includes a eaves balcony supported by railings, with the eaves mimicking wooden construction featuring beams, rafters, flying rafters, tile ridges, and sloping ridges. The pagoda tapers slightly with each ascending level, and the top is crowned with a gourd-shaped precious finial atop an inverted lotus base. In 1973, a stone coffin, silver reliquary, and relics of the Pratyekabuddha were unearthed from the pagoda’s underground chamber. In 1977, the Iron Pagoda was designated as a provincial-level key cultural relic protection unit.

Liaocheng Iron Pagoda – Transportation

Liaocheng Iron Pagoda Night View Detailed Address: West Bank of the Canal in Dongguan, Liaocheng; Southeast Corner of the Former Huguo Longxing Temple

The roads around the pagoda are unobstructed, and there are direct buses and tourist coaches available from the local train station and bus terminal.

Scenic Spot Location

Jiankang Road, Dongchangfu District, Liaocheng City, Shandong Province

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units