Remains of the Taizang Pagoda

Remains of the Taizang Pagoda

The remains of the Taizang Pagoda are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The remains of the Taizang Pagoda are located in Yukamali Village, Sanpu Township, Turpan City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, 40 kilometers west of Turpan City and 1.2 kilometers southeast of the ancient Gaochang ruins.

The Taizang Pagoda was originally built during the 6th to 7th centuries (during the Qushi Gaochang period) and was a renowned Buddhist site at the time. By the end of the 14th century, after the rulers of the Chagatai Khanate forced the residents of the Gaochang region to convert to Islam, the Taizang Pagoda gradually fell into ruin.

A giant Buddha statue once stood inside the Taizang Pagoda but was destroyed in the early 20th century. The site of the Taizang Pagoda covers an area of 939 square meters. Its remaining height is approximately 20 meters, and the pagoda has a roughly square floor plan, oriented slightly southwest. The outer base of the pagoda measures about 36 meters from north to south and 34 meters from east to west, with walls that are 8 to 12 meters thick at the base. The interior is hollow, with inner dimensions of about 15 meters square. There is a gap approximately 3 meters wide on the southern side facing the center. This pagoda is listed as part of the fifth group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units announced by the State Council.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units