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Pagoda
Davis Crain
http://norman.walsh.name/2003/11/14/images/pagoda.jpg
Origins
• Traced to India
• Buddhist literature -originally built for the
purpose of preserving the remains of
Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism
• Sanskrit pagoda (or stupa) meant tomb
• No equivalent for the Hindu word for pagoda in
the Chinese language
• New character was ta
stupa
Chinese Pagoda’s
• Multistoried
• Originally built to preserve
Buddhist relics
– Most sacred objects in the world
• Traditionally used by the ruling
class to show off its power and
wealth
• Believed to be the residences
of the immortals
• Usually awe inspiring and
mysterious looking
http://www.anniebees.com/China/China_44.htm
The 3 Parts
• Top
– resembled the original image of the stupa from India
• Body
– used to enshrine a statue of Buddha
– various styles of traditional Chinese architecture
• Base
– for burying Buddhist relics
– took the form of an underground chamber
Great Wild Goose Pagoda
•
•
•
•
•
•
initially built in 589
Sui Dynasty
Wulou Temple
652AD
Tang Dynasty
Li Zhi rebuilt the temple in
memory of his late mother,
Empress Wende
• 7 story
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/images/photogallery/0014500/xian%2010014304tm.jpg
• Symbol of Xian
• Famous Buddhist
monk
• 600 or so Buddhist
texts
• 17 years for a round
trip
• Wrote a book entitled
"Journey to the West"
– customs of different
places he visited and
his experiences
http://www.brynmawr.edu/Acads/Cities/wld/03310/03310x2c.jpg
History
• Originally
– brick structure of five stories
• Between AD 701 and AD 704
• five more stories were added
• Damage by the war reduced it to seven
stories
• Now
– 64 meters high
– Base 25 meters by 25 meters
Refrences
• http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shaanxi/xian/
bigwildgoose.htm
• http://english.china.com/zh_cn/tourism/pagoda/1102369
1/20040906/11866203.html
• http://english.china.com/zh_cn/tourism/pagoda/1102369
1/20040906/11866195.html
• http://english.china.com/zh_cn/tourism/pagoda/1102369
1/20040903/11863181.html
• http://english.china.com/zh_cn/tourism/pagoda/1102369
1/20040903/11863175.html
• http://www.groveart.com/shared/views/article.html?from=
search&session_search_id=228217607&hitnum=1&secti
on=art.064601&authstatuscode=202
• http://www.chinaetravel.com/attraction/att23e.html