The Shijing Temple Stone Pagoda

The Shijing Temple Stone Pagoda

The Shijing Temple Stone Pagoda is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Shijing Temple Stone Pagoda is located within Shijing Temple in Jiaying Temple Village, Zanhuang County, Hebei Province in northern China. It is a stone pagoda built during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD).

The Shijing Temple Stone Pagoda was first built in the eighth year of the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty (749 AD), and the temple was renovated in the second year of the Zhili era of the Song Dynasty (1065 AD), when Jiaying Temple was renamed Shijing Temple. The Shijing Temple Stone Pagoda is a solid, carved stone pagoda of the dense-eave style, with an octagonal floor plan. The pagoda stands 16.4 meters tall in total, with four levels. Both the body and the eaves of the pagoda imitate wooden structures, supported by carved stone brackets. Buddhist niches are carved along the sloping ridges, with relief sculptures of Buddhas and Buddhist stories inside. The top of the pagoda is crowned with an inverted lotus base, topped with a gourd-shaped precious bead. In addition, there are four stone stupas and ten stone steles located beside the pagoda.

The Shijing Temple Stone Pagoda is exquisitely built and richly decorated, reflecting the artistic style of the flourishing Tang Dynasty. It is a gem among China’s stone-carved Buddhist pagodas and holds significant importance for the study of Tang Dynasty pagoda architecture and sculptural art. (National Cultural Heritage Administration)

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Fourth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units