Danling White Pagoda

Danling White Pagoda

The Danling White Pagoda is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Danling White Pagoda

Built during the Dazhong era (847–860) of the Tang Dynasty, the Danling White Pagoda was constructed to complement the original Danling White Crane Temple complex. Having withstood over 1,100 years of weathering, it remains well-preserved today. It is the oldest densely-eaved brick pagoda in Sichuan and also the most ancient architectural art treasure in Meishan City.

Pagodas originated in India and were introduced to China along with Buddhism during the Eastern Han Dynasty. From the Han to the Sui dynasties, pagodas held a very high status, with temple layouts centered around them. By the Tang Dynasty, temple architecture began to focus on halls for worship, scripture recitation, and meditation, with pagodas becoming secondary structures—either located behind the temple, beside it, or in a separate pagoda courtyard.

The Danling White Pagoda stands 27.5 meters tall (including a 2.2-meter spire), and is a square, four-cornered, dense-eaved brick pagoda with 14 tiers. The pagoda features a spiral staircase inside that allows visitors to ascend to the top. Its majestic design bears a strong resemblance to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an and the Lingshan Pagoda from the Tang Dynasty in Leshan.

The Danling White Pagoda is classified as a densely-eaved pagoda. Its exterior characteristics include a particularly tall first tier, with extremely short distances between the tiers above, giving the eaves a tightly interlocked appearance reminiscent of multi-eaved pavilion towers. Except for the first tier, the upper levels generally have no doors or windows. This type of pagoda is a branch of the pavilion-style pagoda.

The pagoda has no base or pedestal—the main body rises directly from the ground. Each side of the base is 6.02 meters wide, with an arched doorway at the bottom. Higher levels feature trapezoidal lintels, gable-shaped lintels, real or false windows, and overlapping layers forming the eaves. Originally, wind chimes hung from the corners of each tier, ringing in the breeze—a scenic highlight known as the “White Pagoda’s Bell Chime,” one of Danling’s ancient Eight Scenic Views.

Above the seventh tier, the pagoda slightly tapers inward with each level. The interior consists of only five tiers. The base’s central ceiling is supported by eight five-coursed bracket sets made of brick, which uphold the coffered ceiling (zaojing) formed by overlapping layers. The walls once featured several wax plum paintings, and the base wall had a bas-relief. The second, third, and fourth tiers lack bracket sets, while the fifth tier has no inner chamber but originally contained colored paintings and Buddha statues.

According to expert research, the Danling White Pagoda was built in the Tang Dynasty within the original White Crane Temple. Volume 43 of the Sichuan General Annals · Geography states: “The Ming Unified Gazetteer says: The White Pagoda Temple is located west of Danling County, formerly named White Crane. It was built at the end of the Dazhong era of the Tang Dynasty, containing a stupa. It was renovated in the Song Dynasty, and Su Shi wrote about it. In the early Yongle period, it was renamed to its current name.” Another theory suggests it was built in the Sui Dynasty. The Danling County Annals (1923 edition), under “Buddhist Temples,” records: “The White Pagoda Temple is an ancient temple… to its left stands a towering stupa that pierces the clouds, built during the Sui Renshou era.” Later expert studies concluded: “This pagoda has fourteen exterior tiers and four interior tiers, which doesn’t conform to Buddhist pagoda conventions. Moreover, the upper staircase seems to stop short, possibly broken in the past and later heavily repaired into its current form.” “Its structure resembles the Chongsheng Temple Pagoda in Dali and the Longxing Temple Pagoda in Pengshan, likely also dating to the Tang Dynasty, though the interior Song-style bracket sets and spiral staircases were added later.” Therefore, most experts believe: “The Danling White Pagoda was probably built in the Tang Dynasty and modified in subsequent eras, yet still retains the style of a Tang pagoda.” Inscriptions found in the middle section of the spire, such as “Tenth Month, First Day of the Harvest Season, Dao Guang 12th Year,” and the lower section reading “Buddha, 23rd Year of Wanli (1605), 20th Day of Tenth Month,” indicate that it underwent multiple restorations during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The Danling White Pagoda is a witness to Danling’s history. As early as the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty, Danling was established as a county. The people of the ancient town, unwilling to remain obscure, first built the Danling White Crane Temple symbolizing the “Earth King” to invite auspicious geomantic energy, then constructed the Confucian Temple to cultivate talent, and later added the Danling White Pagoda to enhance the city’s charm. In the centuries that followed, Danling indeed produced many notable individuals. Within a hundred years, 125 individuals passed the imperial examination at the jinshi level, and over 300 became juren (successful candidates in the provincial exams), earning it the reputation as the “Hometown of Talents.” Among them were calligrapher Yang Ling, female Taoist nun Cheng Wuwei, poet-monk Kepeng, eminent historian Li Tao, “Little Dongpo” Tang Geng, “Crystal Lantern” Sun Daofu, national hero Liu Ji, “Poetic Genius” Li Bi, educator Li Changyuan, and others who left their mark on history. They all visited the pagoda to the west of Danling city—to view, climb, and compose poetry in its honor. Peng Duanshu wrote: “The pagoda’s presence dominates the western city, soaring high into the night sky. Its bell chimes drift down from above, clear and melodious with the wind. Awakening dreamers, it draws thoughts to the other shore.”

Viewing and ascending the pagoda offers a unique experience. The Danling White Pagoda is located west of Danling County, at the intersection of Provincial Highway 106 and the Dan (Ling) Shun (Long) Road. From afar, the Danling White Pagoda closely resembles the Small Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an—majestic and elegant in form. Up close, it is a square, four-cornered, fourteen-tiered densely-eaved brick structure, nearly thirty meters tall. Looking up, the first tier gives rise to fourteen closely-spaced eaves, each layer appearing like the overlapping roofs of a pavilion. The overlapping eave layers gradually decrease in size from bottom to top, creating a soft, parabolic silhouette, while the eaves are styled like bird wings, offering a sense of lightness and ease. Small lattice windows and holes are built into the low walls between each tier, believed to serve decorative or interior lighting purposes. Originally, 72 copper bells hung from the eave corners—when the wind blew, the bells rang, and white clouds drifted around the ancient pagoda, giving rise to its famed “White Pagoda’s Bell Chime,” long listed as one of Danling’s Eight Scenic Views.

Protected Area: Within the existing perimeter wall.

Construction Control Zone: The protected area extends east to the west side of Provincial Highway 106, south to the north side of Danming Road, west to the west wall of the Party School of the Danling County Committee, and north to the south wall of the residential buildings in Zhongtai Phase V.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units