Tianning Temple Three Saints Pagoda

Tianning Temple Three Saints Pagoda

Tianning Temple Three Saints Pagoda is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Tianning Temple Three Saints Pagoda is located within the courtyard of the Qinyang City Museum in Henan Province. Built in the 11th year of the Dading era during the Jin Dynasty (1171 AD), it has a history of over 800 years and ranks first among the three great Jin-era pagodas in Henan.

Tianning Temple Three Saints Pagoda stands 32.76 meters tall and consists of three parts: the base, the main body, and the top. The square base covers more than 140 square meters, is 6.5 meters high, and supports an 8.6-meter Sumeru pedestal that holds up the thirteen-tiered closely-eaved main body. Above the arched gateway on the southern side of the base is a bluestone plaque inscribed with four large characters, "Zhong Tian Yi Zhu" (Pillar of Heaven), written by Zhang Zeng, the Huaiqing Prefect. The first level of the pagoda has doors on all four sides, with hidden windows on either side of the doors. Above the architrave are brick-built brackets supporting the eaves. Each successive level features interlocking closely-spaced eaves adorned with diamond-shaped bricks and built-out waist eaves. Above the eaves are diamond-shaped tooth-like structures, atop which interlocking layers form the closely-spaced eaves. The height of each level decreases progressively from the bottom up, while the width tapers inward, giving the overall silhouette a parabolic curve. The spire is a small stupa with a finial-style base topped by a precious gem. From the outside, the massive stone-carved base of the Three Saints Pagoda gives an impression of stability and sturdiness. The brick-built main body is earth-toned, rising powerfully from the ground. The iron spire adds to the sense of impregnability. The wooden frame structure is concealed, visible only deep within the central chamber.

The exterior of the Three Saints Pagoda imitates Tang Dynasty style, while its internal structure resembles that of the Song Dynasty. Inside the massive stone base is a double-ring wall with a corridor walkway between the two walls. At the center of the inner ring is a two-story central chamber; each level of the pagoda from the first to the ninth floor contains a central chamber. The lower part of each chamber is built with a cellar, covered with wooden flooring, and topped with brick ceilings featuring various decorative patterns. The walls of the chambers either house Buddhist niches or contain passageways and doorways connecting to levels above and below. Inside the pagoda is a vertical square passageway with footholds along the walls. This passage leads all the way to the ninth floor, and only by climbing from the outside of the ninth floor can one reach the thirteenth-floor rooftop—symbolizing the idea of “beyond the ninth cloud.” In terms of lighting, there is also a mysterious touch of “three bright levels and three dark levels.” The clever combination of ventilation windows, air vents, and spacious central chambers gives the Three Saints Pagoda excellent sound-focusing properties—sounds from as far as three li (approximately 1.5 km) away can be heard clearly and melodiously inside the pagoda. Hence, it is also known as the Pagoda of Three Excellences.

Echoing the Three Saints Pagoda is the Tang Dynasty stele "Imperial Edict Stele of the Great Cloud Temple," which details the temple's rise and fall, as well as the construction of the original wooden pavilion. The Jin-era pagoda we see today was built upon the foundation of the Tang wooden structure. Later generations described the pagoda as “a brick pagoda embracing a wooden pagoda, with a small pavilion supporting a large one.”

In June 2001, Tianning Temple Three Saints Pagoda, as a historic building from the Jin Dynasty, was designated as part of the fifth group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council.

(Editor: Backpacker)

Further Reading:

· First Group of Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Fifth Group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units