Baoyun Pagoda

Baoyun Pagoda

Baoyun Pagoda is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Originally named Qingtian Pagoda, Baoyun Pagoda is located east of Jiucheng Village in the southwest of Hengshui city proper. The pagoda was originally situated within Baoyun Temple, hence its name. In the 13th year of the Yongle reign during the Ming Dynasty (1415), due to flooding that submerged the county seat, the county town was relocated from Jiucheng Village to its current site, and Baoyun Temple was also moved along with the town. However, while the temple was relocated, the pagoda remained untouched, standing in its original location. Towering amid lush green trees, the pagoda presents a magnificent sight.

Baoyun Pagoda is a brick-and-wood structure, standing 36.6 meters tall with a base circumference of 28.8 meters. On the southern side of the first floor is an arched niche that once housed a stone-carved lotus-seated Buddha. At the top of the pagoda is a gourd-shaped finial. Unlike the Jingshan Pagoda in Jing County, each level of this pagoda features distinct architectural styles—some with mandarin duck brackets, others with plum blossom brackets, among others. The entire pagoda forms a nine-story, eight-sided pyramid, majestic and simple in design, showcasing the architectural ingenuity of the laboring people.

The first floor has double-layered eaves, with arched gateways on the southern and northern sides. The second floor has arched gateways on the eastern and western sides, while the third floor again features gateways on the north and south. From the fourth floor upwards, there is a gateway on each of the four sides. From the ground floor to the seventh floor, a brick staircase winds upward inside the pagoda. However, the bottom section is a through-core design—climbing the stairs inside allows access to the second, third, and fourth floors. To ascend each higher floor, one must exit the pagoda via the outer corridor, walk halfway around the eaves, and then re-enter through another gateway. To climb yet another floor, one must again step out, circle halfway around, and re-enter... The reasoning behind this unique climbing design remains unclear, but experiencing it firsthand is quite thrilling. From the outside, one can take in the sweeping views of the surrounding area within a radius of several dozen li, yet walking along the pagoda's edge, despite the eaves being over two feet wide, still brings a sense of unease until safely back on the ground. Still, a strong sense of accomplishment naturally arises. From the fifth floor and above, the interior is a hollow shaft, allowing one to climb the stairs without needing to step outside. The fifth floor features gateways in all four cardinal directions, locally referred to as the "Four Heavenly Gates."

Historical records vary on the exact dynasty when Baoyun Pagoda was first built—some say the Sui Dynasty, others the Tang Dynasty—but no consensus has been reached for many years. On May 30, 1980, Professor Zhang Yuhuan and two other researchers from the Institute for the History of Natural Sciences at the Chinese Academy of Sciences conducted an on-site investigation of the pagoda. Based on the architectural features such as the “bamboo-slice” bracket heads and the square-round arched gateways on the first and second floors, it was determined to be in the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty. However, the pedestals, eaves, and carved window lattices from the third floor upwards exhibit clear characteristics of Song Dynasty architecture. As a result, it was identified as having been built in the early Northern Song Dynasty.

On May 25, 2006, Baoyun Pagoda, recognized as an ancient Song Dynasty structure, was approved by the State Council to be included in the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units