At the northwest corner of the former city area of Anyang on the ruins of the Tianning Temple stands the Wenfeng Pagoda which was originally named the Pagoda of the Tianning Temple. It was later named “Wenfeng” for its special location and the customs of the local area.
Wenfeng Pagoda is famous for its unique style of structure. Just on the contrary to the ususal form of common Pagodas, it is wider and wider from the bottom to the top, looking like an umbrella, unique in style both at home and abroad. Wenfeng Pagoda is 38.65 meters tall while the perimeter of the Pagoda foundation is 40 meters long. It has brick Pagoda body and wood eaves. The octagonal body of the Pagoda standing on the round lotus-like foundations of seven floors interlacing with each other and extending both to the left and right enhances the solidity and beauty of the Pagoda.
The upper body of the Pagoda has five levels of extruding eaves, the higher the level, the bigger in size. The extruding eaves supported by artistic bricks are different from each other in structures.The brass bells hung ove the tips of the octagonal eaves ring and echo along the wind, making clear pleasant sounds.
The bottom floor of the Pagoda has arch doors on each side among which only the one facing south is the real gate accessible while all the others are just for decoration with patterns of lotuses, dragons, etc. On the upper frame of the door are bricks inscribed with vivid traditional Chinese pattern of “two dragons coiling around a huge pearl”. The octagonal Pagoda is splendid in view, with supporting columns of embossment of lifelike coiling dragons.
On the eight sides of the brick Pagoda above the door as well as on the intervals of the eight colums with carves of dragons are eight embossed buddhist stories describing the affairs of buddha and showing their divine statues, vivid in patten and lifelike in expressions, considered as one of the rare valuables of ancient brick carving artworks.
Tourists can step up into the Pagoda by the platform of 2 meters tall at the bottom entry facing south, and reach the top after 72 coiling steps. At the very center of the Pagoda top erects a jar-like Tasha (the symbol of the pagoda) which is 10 meters tall, unique in form all over the country. Around the top is a wall of battlement which is more than 1 meter in height. The top platform has a capacity of 200 people. Looking far into the distance on the top, you'll enjoy the beautiful view of Anyang, the ancient modern city.
Wenfeng Pagoda, the highest building in Anyang till the middle 1980s, has always been the simbol of Anyang for all those dynasties. |
Asia Travel 
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