Kaifeng Po Pagoda

Hours & Admission Price Peak Season
Jan.-Dec.
08:00-17:30
10 Low Season
Jan.-Dec.
08:00-17:30
10 Address & Phone On the southwestern of Gufantai District, Kaifeng county, Henan Province. Transportation One can take bus No. 1, 15, 20, 30 from the railway station of Kaifeng to get there. Notes

Located on the southeast of Gufantai, Kaifeng City, Kaifeng Po Pagoda is the first pagoda built in Kaifeng and one of the oldest architecture in Kaifeng.

Originally called Xingci Pagoda, Kaifeng Po Pagoda is located on the southeast of Gufantai, Kaifeng City. Since it was built in the Tianqing Temple in the North Song Dynasty (960-1127), it is also called Tianqing Temple Pagoda. Then, it changed to Po Pagoda because its location on the Potai. As the first pagoda built in Kaifeng and one of the oldest architecture in Kaifeng, Kaifeng Po Pagoda is a national key relic protection unit.

History

Built in 974, Kaifeng Po Pagoda is a nine-storey hexagonal with a history of more than 1,000 years. Originally it was 80 meters tall but only three storeys were left in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Later, a smaller six-storey pagoda was built on its top to serve as its steeple. The total height of the pagoda is 31.3meters. With 108 kinds, more than 7,000 exquisite Buddha statues, 178 pieces of precious inscriptions, and unique appearance, Kaifeng Po Pagoda attracts many tourists at home and abroad every year.

The Remaining Main Body of the Pagoda

The remaining three storey structure is made of brick. It has a hexagonal shape and each storey is much smaller than the one below. The first storey is about 13.10 meters wide and is a little higher than the other two. It has a door on its southern side. The exterior walls of the pagoda are inlaid with brick statues of Buddha. The bricks are all square and the postures, facial expressions of the Buddhas on them are diverse. The statues are carved exquisitely, which not only shows the lives and images of the Buddhas but reflects the outstanding carving technique in the North Song Dynasty.

The Inscriptions

Inside the pagoda, there are 178 well preserved engraved stone tablets. The inscriptions are mainly about the Song Dynasty. Among all the inscriptions, the most famous is the Three Sutra written by the famous calligrapher Zhao Renan in Song Dynasty. The Three Sutra are kept in two storeys of the pagoda. On the southern side of the first storey, there inlaid with six stone tablets with inscriptions of Buddhist scriptures and another six tablets in the doorway on the same side of the second storey. The bargains of the stele are all decorated with the exquisite pattern of flowering lotus. They are all precious material in the ancient Buddhist classics and calligraphy.

Kaifeng Culture