Huata Pagoda of Guanghui Temple

Huata Pagoda of Guanghui Temple

Huata Pagoda of Guanghui Temple is a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.

Huata Pagoda of Guanghui Temple, also known as the Pagoda of Many Treasures, is situated in the former Guanghui Temple on a high terrace east of Shengmin Street in Zhengding County, Hebei Province. In 1961, it was listed by the State Council as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level. The Huata is composed of a main tower and attached smaller towers, all constructed from brick. The main tower’s first level is surrounded by four small hexagonal pavilion-like towers at its corners. These smaller towers embrace the main tower, varying in height and interlocking elegantly, forming a delicate, magnificent, and graceful composition.

Huata Pagoda of Guanghui Temple is located east of South Street in Zhengding County, Hebei Province. In April 1933, Liang Sicheng conducted an investigation and took photographs of the pagoda, and in 1984, a comprehensive survey was carried out. After centuries of natural and human-caused damage, the temple no longer exists, and the pagoda itself is severely eroded. Only the central core of the main tower and parts of the attached towers remain, but their layout and structural details are still clearly visible. The pagoda’s unique design, unconventional structure, scientific construction principles, and exquisite craftsmanship make it a masterpiece of ancient architecture and a unique example among China’s surviving Buddhist pagodas. It was designated as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China in 1961.

Guanghui Temple was originally built during the Zhenyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (785–804 AD), but the pagoda itself was not constructed until the Jin Dynasty, making it the most uniquely shaped and richly decorated brick pagoda in China. Historical records indicate that the pagoda underwent multiple renovations during the Tang, Jin (Dading era), and Ming-Qing periods. Earlier scholars believed this type of pagoda did not exist in the Tang Dynasty and was likely constructed during the Jin Dynasty renovation of the temple. However, based on the overall structure and remaining elements, aside from the pagoda’s top which was rebuilt during the Jin and Yuan Dynasties, the basic components and architectural style of the first to third levels are considered to be remnants from the early Tang Dynasty, specifically the Zhenguan era. The Huata stands 40.5 meters tall and is a three-story, octagonal pavilion-style pagoda.

The first level of the pagoda has an octagonal floor plan, with six small single-story hexagonal towers attached at its four corners, creating a pavilion-like suite. Both the main tower and the smaller towers feature round arched doorways on their facades, with brick bracket sets (dougong) beneath the eaves. The second level has a regular octagonal floor plan, with doors on all four main facades and lattice-style false windows beside them; the other four sides have vertical balustrades and lattice false windows. The Dougong brackets of the tower support the eaves. The third level begins to taper, with only one square door on the front facade and false doors on the other three sides. Above the third level is a conical tower body adorned densely and intricately with Buddha statues and various animal figures, arranged in a dynamic and varied composition. Above this is an octagonal eave roof and the steeple, which is now badly damaged. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Guanghui Temple flourished with incense offerings, and Emperor Qianlong visited several times to worship, admire the pagoda, and even inscribed a plaque reading “Miaoguang Yanjiao” (Sublime Light Preaching the Dharma). Today, only the Huata remains standing, while the temple has long vanished. (National Cultural Heritage Administration)

Location of Huata

Huata Pagoda of Guanghui Temple is situated on a high terrace east of Shengmin Street within the former site of Guanghui Temple in Zhengding County, Hebei Province. Today, only the Huata remains, as the temple has long been gone.

Structure

The Huata consists of a main tower and attached smaller towers, all built of brick. The main tower’s first level has six small hexagonal pavilion-style towers at its four corners, encircling the main structure. These smaller towers embrace the main tower, varying in height and interlocking elegantly, forming a delicate, magnificent, and graceful composition. The main tower is a pavilion-style structure, standing 31.5 meters tall and divided into four levels. Each level features ornate brick imitation wood bracket sets beneath the eaves. The first to third levels have octagonal floor plans, with central brick Dougong brackets on the first level and a northern arched doorway. The second and third levels have balconies (pingzuo). In addition to arched doorways on the main facades, each side also has diagonal lattice false windows and square Buddha niches. The third-level balcony is quite large, while the tower body significantly narrows. At the corners of the eaves are carved strongman figures supporting the fourth level. The fourth level has a roughly circular floor plan and appears cone-shaped in appearance. This is the main part and highlight of the pagoda, accounting for about one-third of its total height. Inside the conical section is a chamber housing two stone Buddha statues, while the exterior is adorned around its eight sides with colorful, interwoven sculptures of bodhisattvas, strongmen, birds, beasts, lions, elephants, and pavilions, among others. The themes are diverse, the compositions innovative, the arrangements orderly, and the craftsmanship exquisite. The animal figures are especially lifelike—the fierce lions, powerful elephants, and leaping frogs are vividly rendered. The fourth level is like a vibrant sculpture ensemble, dazzling in color. The upper part of this level features brick-carved Dougong brackets and eave tiles, topped with an octagonal pavilion-style eave, and crowned by an octagonal spire. The first to third levels have staircases. In the heat of summer, visitors ascending to the third-level balcony can enjoy a refreshing breeze. The pagoda combines a main tower and attached towers on a shared square base, forming an overall octagonal plan. The four main facades are 6.2 meters wide, and the four diagonal sides are 3.5 meters wide. The central main tower is flanked by four attached towers on the diagonals, with a 1.36-meter-wide inner corridor between them. The tops of the attached towers were originally adorned with small stupa decorations, now lost. Below is a flat, hexagonal pavilion-style single-story suite, with lattice-style false windows carved into each diagonal face. Each corner has a brick pillar with lintel brackets. The four attached towers along the diagonals form a secondary platform for the main tower, each featuring a round arched doorway and a single-eave tiled roof.

The main tower is a brick carving imitation of a wooden structure, with an octagonal floor plan and four levels in a pavilion style, currently standing 33 meters tall. The north wall of the first level has a doorway, with stone steps in the center leading up to the south door of the second level. Dougong brackets are installed beneath the eaves. The second level has a surrounding balcony (pingzuo), with three bays on each face. The central bay features a square door, while the side bays have square or hexagonal lattice windows. There are stone bases and circular column plinths, with window carvings including water barriers and central pillars. The columns support double-tiered five-component Dougong brackets that hold up the eaves. The ceiling of the tower’s inner chamber is a cross-shaped caisson dome. The third level lacks a surrounding balcony and is supported by the second level’s roof, featuring a large lotus petal-shaped octagonal balcony, with the tower body noticeably smaller. There are eight corner pillars with stone bases and circular plinths. The front has a blue stone square door, while the others are false doors or diagonal lattice windows.

The pillars also have double-tiered five-component Dougong brackets, each with 60-degree angled extensions. From the first to the third level, the capitals are connected only by a single lintel. The tower’s upper section connects to an octagonal cone, sculpted with images of tigers, lions, elephants, dragons, Buddhas, and bodhisattvas. These were made by first constructing a brick core, slightly carving it, then applying fine clay modeling. The top level is a steep octagonal spire, with 45-degree angled bracket arms extending from the lintel to the corners. The steeple is damaged, leaving only an octagonal lotus base. On the north wall of the third level’s inner chamber stand two stone-carved statues of Shakyamuni and Prabhutaratna Buddhas, with an inscription on the pedestal indicating they were created in the second year of the Zhenguan era to commemorate Emperor Taizong’s birthday. The southern doorway of the third level retains Tang Dynasty cloud-pattern line engravings, along with Song Dynasty visitor inscriptions.

After 1949, repairs were made to the lower damaged sections of the pagoda, and a surrounding wall was built. Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty visited twice, worshipping, admiring the view from the pagoda, and composing poems. Guanghui Temple is also known as Huata Temple due to its iconic pagoda. According to the Zhengding County Annals from the first year of the Guangxu era, the temple was built during the Zhenyuan era of Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty (785–805 AD) and was renovated in the mid-Ming Dynasty. In the late Qing Dynasty, the temple fell into disrepair, leaving only the pagoda. Based on the pagoda’s structural style and an inscription from the sixth year of the Zhenglong era (1161 AD) found on the first-floor inner wall, it is believed to be a relic from the Liao or Jin Dynasty. The Huata Pagoda of Guanghui Temple, with its upper section decorated with grand colored clay sculptures, is not only the most elegant representation of Huata pagodas in China but also the most uniquely shaped and richly decorated brick pagoda. It is no exaggeration to say that the Huata is a unique treasure unparalleled in China.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the Provincial Level in Hebei Province

· First Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level