Fanshi Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda

Fanshi Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda

The Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda in Fanshi is a cultural relic protection unit of Shanxi Province.

The Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda, also known as the Lion’s Nest Glazed Pagoda, is located 2 kilometers southwest of Fuzhuang Natural Village, Dacaoping Village, Yantou Township, Fanshi County. It faces south. The pagoda has an octagonal floor plan, with each side measuring 6 meters, covering a total area of 173.82 square meters.

According to an inscription on the finial base, it was built in the 27th year of the Wanli era during the Ming Dynasty (1599). The base is octagonal with a molded Sumeru pedestal, standing 1.7 meters high. The main body of the pagoda has thirteen octagonal tiers, reaching a total height of 35 meters. Its entire surface is covered with glazed bricks, and each tier features five rows of Buddha statues, totaling fifteen rows per face—amounting to ten thousand statues in all.

The pagoda body has a double-layered sleeve structure. Originally, visitors could ascend via stairs to the fifth tier, but this section is now closed off. The first tier’s eaves are adorned with brick carvings imitating wooden architecture, and each of the four sides features carved guardian figures beside the doors. Two stone lions, of unknown date, stand on the pagoda’s southern side. On June 10, 2004, it was designated as a fourth batch provincial-level cultural relic protection unit by the People’s Government of Shanxi Province. (From “A Collection of Cultural Relics in Xinzhou”)

Source: Xinzhou Net

Dacaoping Village: Dacaoping Village…… More information about Dacaoping Village++