Wu Hou Pagoda

Wu Hou Pagoda

Wu Hou Pagoda is a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit.

Wu Hou Pagoda is located in the northwest corner of Nanwuhou Village, Yaoshan Township, about 15 kilometers northeast of Shunping County. It is a Liao Dynasty structure and is designated as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit. Currently, both the base and the body of the pagoda show varying degrees of weathering.

The pagoda faces south and is a five-story hollow brick pagoda with a dense-eave hexagonal design. The entire pagoda consists of three parts: the base, the body, and the finial. The base is divided into a rough stone base and a brick base. The rough stone base has a hexagonal plan and is 0.9 meters high; the brick base also has a hexagonal plan, is 3.5 meters high, and is divided into six layers. The string courses between the 4th–5th and 5th–6th layers are carved with caisson panels, inside which are figures, birds and beasts, flowers, and other patterns. The pagoda body is also divided into two parts: the first-story body and the five eaves. The first-story body has a hexagonal plan and stands on a platform. The north and south sides feature brick-carved false doors, double-paneled with four panels, and flanked by Buddha niches. The other four sides have brick-carved blind windows, double-paneled with two panels, featuring diamond and diagonal grid patterns. Among the five eaves, except for the first layer which lacks a double-layered lotus base, the other four layers all sit atop double-layered lotus bases. Each layer features wood-like structures, including architraves and purlins, with bracket sets (dougong) above the purlins. The eaves are trimmed with glazed tiles. The finial is a glazed lotus and precious bead style.

The carvings on Wu Hou Pagoda are of great research value. In addition to the bracket sets and purlins that imitate wooden architectural forms, other elements such as flowers, figures, and animals are carved using relief or round carving techniques. Their designs are rich, and the carving is smooth and concise. Although built during the Liao Dynasty, it still retains Tang Dynasty influences. Moreover, the pagoda adopts a hexagonal dense-eave plan, and both its outer eaves and finial are made of glazed components—features that are rare among Liao Dynasty pagodas.

In May 2013, Wu Hou Pagoda was announced as part of the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relic Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relic Protection Units