Pagoda of Brick Arches

Pagoda of Brick Arches

The Pagoda of Brick Arches is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Pagoda of Brick Arches is located about three li southeast of Kaifeng City. Originally named "Xingci Pagoda," it is also known as "Tianqing Temple Pagoda." The site where the pagoda stands was originally a naturally formed high platform. Because many local residents had the surname Fan, it was called Fan Terrace. In the second year of the Kaiping era (908 AD) during the Later Liang of the Five Dynasties, it was briefly renamed the Jiangwu Terrace. In the second year of the Xiande era (955 AD) during the Later Zhou, a temple was built on Fan Terrace. Since it was completed on the birthday of Emperor Shizong Chai Rong — known as the Tianqing Festival — it was bestowed the name Tianqing Temple in the fourth year of Xiande (957 AD). It served as the Emperor’s merit monastery. At that time, its grand halls were as renowned as those of the Xiangguo Temple and the Kaibao Temple, making it one of the famous temples of the Eastern Capital. It was renovated in the second year of the Taiping Xingguo era (977 AD), but was destroyed during the wars at the end of the Yuan Dynasty. In the seventeenth year of the Hongwu era (1384 AD) of the Ming Dynasty, monks rebuilt a Buddhist hall on the ruins of the former building, naming it Guoxiang Temple. In the nineteenth year (1386 AD), they reconstructed the site of the former Tianqing Hall in the middle of the temple, renaming it Tianqing Temple. In the same year, the monk Sheng’an and others rebuilt a Buddhist hall on the ruins of the former Baiyun Pavilion to the northwest of the temple, naming it Baiyun Temple. During the Ming Dynasty, three different temples coexisted on Fan Terrace, each representing different sects — for lecturing monks, Chan monks, and Yoga monks. By the end of the Ming Dynasty, after a flood destroyed the area, all three temples collapsed, leaving only traces behind.

In the sixth year of the Shunzhi era (1649 AD) of the Qing Dynasty, the monk Guishan came to Kaifeng during his travels. Seeing the uniqueness of the Pagoda of Brick Arches, he vowed to renovate it and took up residence in the back cave of the pagoda. He first raised funds to rebuild the rear hall and the central hall, then later solicited contributions from the governor and the provincial administration commissioner to renovate the mountain gate and other structures in the seventh year of the Kangxi era (1668 AD), collectively naming them Guoxiang Temple. During the Yongzheng and Daoguang eras, some individual halls were renovated.

In the twenty-first year of the Daoguang era (1841 AD), when the Yellow River flooded and surrounded the city, the temple complex included three front gates to the south, with bell and drum towers on either side inside the gate. Further inside were the second and third halls. The fourth hall was the main hall, five bays wide, with east and west side halls in front, and monks’ quarters in the rear. Behind the main hall stood the Pagoda of Brick Arches. After the flood, the front hall collapsed, though the main hall survived having been renovated in the ninth year of the Daoguang era (1829 AD). In 1927, the monks were expelled and the temple’s property confiscated, leading to its complete abandonment, leaving only the Pagoda of Brick Arches. The temple site was taken over by the Henan Provincial Agricultural Specialized School, which was later incorporated into Henan University and became its Agricultural College. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the college was separated to become the Henan Agricultural College and relocated to Zhengzhou. Its teaching buildings, dormitories, soil laboratory, breeding lab, and incubation room near the Pagoda of Brick Arches were then occupied by the Kaifeng Tobacco Factory.

The Pagoda of Brick Arches was constructed in the seventh year of the Kaibao era (974 AD) during the Northern Song Dynasty and was completed around the first year of the Chunhua era (990 AD), making it the oldest building in Kaifeng. The construction funds mainly came from public donations and contributions from a few dignitaries, using a method of raising money while building, which took nearly 20 years in total.

The Pagoda of Brick Arches is a hollow, hexagonal, pavilion-style brick-and-wood structure Buddhist pagoda. According to records, the pagoda originally had nine stories and was 240 Chinese feet tall. By the Yuan Dynasty, the pagoda was already half-ruined, leaving only seven levels. In the sixth year of the Jiajing era (1527 AD), the Ming Dynasty scholar Li Mengyang wrote in the "Record of the Renovation of Guoxiang Temple": “At the beginning of the dynasty, to suppress imperial aura, four of the seven levels of the pagoda were removed,” leaving it as a three-level ruined pagoda. The suppression of imperial aura is believed by some historians to refer to the Yongle era, when Prince Zhou Zhu Zhanji showed signs of rebellion. After being reported, he was stripped of three guards, and warning measures were taken against the Prince Zhou’s palace, such as demolishing the Yinan Hall, the Bell Tower, the Zunyi Gate, and banning the opening of the Donghua Gate. The upper levels of the ruined pagoda were also demolished, a measure of similar intent. Due to two to three hundred years of wind and rain erosion, the Buddha bricks on the inner walls of the third level had weathered, and the floorboards had rotted. Although Prince Zhou once restored the outer Buddha bricks, he dared not alter the interior. It wasn’t until the early Qing Dynasty when the monk Guishan vowed to renovate the temple and pagoda that a small seven-level pagoda was added atop the ruined structure. Internally, ten layers of small bricks were used in corbelled steps to reach the top, forming a caisson ceiling to enclose the previously open pagoda roof. The so-called seven levels refer only to the outer layer sealed with seven tiers of Buddha bricks, with the total height being only 8.69 meters. From a distance, the entire pagoda resembles a Bianzhong (Chinese bell chime), with the small pagoda looking like the bell’s knob — quite unique.

The structure of the Pagoda of Brick Arches is also very unusual. The pagoda is 36.68 meters tall, with the width of each side of the first level ranging from 13.40 to 14.50 meters, giving the base an area of 520.19 square meters. The method of ascending the pagoda is also unique. The north and south sides of the first level are not connected. The southern cave is 8.37 meters deep and houses Buddha statues; the northern cave is slightly shallower and allows access to ascend the pagoda via stairways along the eastern and western sides hidden between the inner and outer walls, leading directly to the third level. To reach the second level, one must exit the cave and walk along the eastern and western flat corridors to the southern cave. To reach the top, one exits the southern cave of the third level, walks along the flat corridor, and turns to the eastern or western stairways to ascend. The flat corridors of the second and third levels are less than 70 centimeters wide, making passage quite dangerous. Records indicate that railings were originally installed but were not restored during renovations. Only iron cables were added to the pagoda walls for safety, along with iron windows, which are usually kept closed. Under each eave of the pagoda’s exterior walls, there are brick carvings of wooden-style bracket sets. From the column tops extend two tiers of ang brackets, with no transverse brackets except for the mud arches. The lintel is formed by laying four layers of flat bricks slightly protruding from the wall surface, supporting the column tops, with the second tier directly bearing the brick eaves without roof tiles.

The inner and outer walls of the Pagoda of Brick Arches are inlaid with approximately 7,000 Buddha statue bricks, each about 33 cm square. Most are molded, with one Buddha per brick, including bodhisattvas, arhats, and musicians — totaling 108 types, all with different postures. These Buddha images have full, round faces, wear kasayas, and feature smooth lines. Most Buddhas and bodhisattvas sit on single or waist-high lotus pedestals, with gestures in the teaching mudra. Other images include Manjushri and Samantabhadra riding blue lions and white elephants, Xuanzang carrying Buddhist scriptures, bodhisattvas holding Dharma ropes, and the graceful Six-Armed Guanyin. The walls are adorned with carved floral patterns, primarily featuring crabapple blossoms, with exquisitely detailed leaves. Especially notable are the tiny figures on the high crowns of the bodhisattvas — no larger than melon seeds — yet with every strand of hair and detail clearly visible.

The Song Dynasty carvings of the Sixteen Arhats, though not numerous, are particularly vivid. The Dragon-Subduing Arhat has a delicate face and gentle demeanor. The Tiger-Taming Arhat bares his chest and belly, exuding a fierce aura. Some arhats rest their chins on "ruyi" scepters, eyes closed in meditation. Others wear straw sandals, lean on walking sticks, and gaze upward. The most intricate carvings are of the 20 musicians, all dressed as bodhisattvas, adorned with necklaces and headdresses featuring miniature Buddha images, with smooth drapery and fine carving. Each holds a different musical instrument, arranged in orderly fashion on the front wall of the second-level inner chamber. The panpipe musician sits cross-legged, holding the instrument to their lips. The sheng player cups both hands around the instrument, fingers pressing the holes. Two cymbal players alternate strikes in rhythmic harmony. The pipa player cradles the instrument horizontally, left hand on the strings, right hand with plectrum, eyes half-closed in concentration. The musicians, in various poses, play 20 instruments across 13 types, each rendered vividly and uniquely — forming a relatively complete set of Song Dynasty temple orchestra carvings.

The Pagoda of Brick Arches preserves many precious stone carvings, totaling 199 pieces. On the east and west walls of the southern cave on the first and second levels, there are four stone-carved Buddhist scriptures, each composed of six bluestones pieced together, over 4 meters long and nearly 1 meter wide, bordered with lotus relief carvings. Inside the southern gate cave on the first level, the east wall features the "Diamond Sutra," while the west wall has the "Essentials of the Ten Good Deeds Sutra" along with the "Second Chapter of the Buddha Asks the Heavenly King Sutra." The south cave on the second level has the upper and lower volumes of the "Mahavaipulya Sutra of Buddha's Teaching on the Great Perfection of Wisdom" carved on its east and west walls. These inscriptions were all carved during the Taiping Xingguo era (976–984 AD) of the Song Dynasty, with calligraphy by the Northern Song calligrapher Zhao Anren.

The capstones above the stairways inside the pagoda are engraved with the surnames, hometowns, and wishes of donors. Many Buddha bricks also bear ink inscriptions of donors’ surnames and Buddha names. On the north side of the second level, there are over ten well-preserved inscribed stone tablets documenting contributions to the pagoda’s renovation. Among them is an inscription from Chen Hongjin, the military governor of the Beihai Navy and Grand Tutor, who donated 500 taels of silver in the third year of the Taiping Xingguo era (978 AD). There are also inscriptions from devotees vowing to donate bricks, lime, carts, oxen, rice, vegetables, soy sauce, and vinegar. The latest contribution date recorded is the first year of the Chunhua era (990 AD). Construction participants included members of “Pagoda Renovation Associations” from places like Taikang County and Xiping County. Donors ranged from civil and military officials to monks and commoners. The long duration of the project, the broad range of contributors, and the variety of donations are truly rare. These records provide important insights for studying the history of the pagoda’s construction.

The Pagoda of Brick Arches has long been a popular destination for Buddhist worship and leisure. Throughout history, many literati and celebrities have left inscriptions after visiting the pagoda. The earliest discovered so far are two inscriptions by the Jin Dynasty literary figure Zhao Bingwen, including the words: “Zhao Bingwen of Fuyang… ascended together on the Double Ninth Festival.” Zhao Bingwen was from Fuyang in Cizhou, passed the imperial examination during the Dagui era of the Jin Dynasty, and rose to the position of Minister of Rites. A skilled poet and calligrapher in cursive script, his poem about ascending the Pagoda of Brick Arches, such as "Climbing the Pagoda on the Ninth Day," reads: “Why is the ninth day so special? Wildflowers bloom with hidden fragrance. The waves are clear, free of residue; the sky is pure, vast and serene. Ascending from the south to the Song Platform, I mourn the noble Lord Xiangyan. Where is the Gate of Dikes now? Grass covers the tomb of Houying.” This complements his earlier inscription “ascended together on the Double Ninth Festival.” Throughout history, many renowned individuals have left popular poems about this ancient pagoda. For example, the Song Dynasty poet Su Shunqin and the famous poet Mei Yaochen both wrote poems about climbing the Pagoda of Brick Arches, vividly describing its loftiness and steepness.

With its long history, exquisite Buddha statue carvings, and architectural artistry, the Pagoda of Brick Arches is ranked among China’s famous pagodas. It is a typical representative of the hexagonal pagoda form during the brief transitional period when Chinese pagoda architecture evolved from the traditional square base to the more complex octagonal style. Because this transition period was extremely short and left very few relics nationwide — and even fewer masterpieces — its artistic value is especially precious.

Address: East of Kaifeng Railway Station, Yuwangtai District; Address: Dongzhakou Street, Yuwangtai District, Kaifeng City (east of the railway station)

Type: Historical Site / Ancient Pagoda

Recommended Visit Duration: 1 hour

Phone: 0371-23929866

Opening Hours:

9:00–17:30

Transportation

Take bus No. 8 within the city to Yaowangchang Station, then walk about 400 meters north

Ticket Price

30 RMB per person

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units