The Shakyamuni Sarira Stupa

The Shakyamuni Sarira Stupa

The Shakyamuni Sarira Stupa is a cultural tourism attraction.

Commonly known as the White Pagoda, the Shakyamuni Sarira Stupa is located at the northwest corner of the ruins of the Liao Dynasty’s Qingzhou City. This octagonal, seven-story brick pagoda in the pavilion style stands 69.46 meters tall in total, with an additional 3.52-meter-high base added to its lower section. Starting from the second story, the body of the pagoda gradually tapers inward, giving it a solemn and majestic appearance. Each level is adorned with carved brick figures, decorative floral bricks, and stone inscriptions of dharani sutras. In addition to depictions of Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and guardian deities, the brick carvings also feature unique scenes of music, dance, and banquets—rare among Liao pagodas. The brickwork exhibits a robust style and exquisite craftsmanship. The pagoda is embedded with hundreds of round and diamond-shaped bronze mirrors, while its finial and ridge ornaments are made of gilded bronze, shining brilliantly in the sunlight. These contrast magnificently with the chalk-whitened body of the pagoda, creating an especially spectacular view that can be seen from dozens of miles away as a gleaming white pagoda standing atop the green grasslands. During recent restoration work, a large number of important relics were discovered inside the pagoda’s finial dome and base, including small Liao Dynasty pagodas, scriptures, and construction steles. These findings confirmed the pagoda’s name as the Shakyamuni Sarira Stupa and revealed that it was built in the 18th year of the Xingzong reign (Shengzong’s mother, Empress Dowager Qin’ai, was the dedicatee) to pray for blessings for the Empress Dowager.