Qixia Temple Relic Pagoda

CHINA, Jiangsu, Nanjing

This wooden pagoda was built in 601 during the Sui dynasty to house Buddha relics. It was destroyed during a persecution of Buddhism (840–846) but rebuilt during the Southern Tang Kingdom (937–975). It was listed as a National Cultural Heritage Site in 1988.
The five-tier, octagonal, stone pagoda is 18.7 m high. It is surrounded by balustrades with newel posts carved in the form of lotuses. It has a two-layer octagonal base platform with reliefs such as dragons, phoenixes, and floral patterns. Above that there is the Sumeru base, whose concave section is covered with the Eight Great Events from the Life of the Buddha. Finally there is an upturned lotus directly beneath the first tier of the pagoda body. The southeast and northwest sides of the first tier have carvings of doors, complete with door handles and doornails. The southwest side has a relief of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, while the northeast side had a relief of Manjusri Bodhisattva, which no longer exists. The remaining sides are decorated with Heavenly Kings and warriors. All subsequent tiers have much shorter bodies with two reliefs of a seated Buddha on each side. The eaves of each tier are prominent and are carved from a single piece of rock. Corrugated tiles are present on the roofs. The spire has been recently repaired and consists of a lotus, clouds, a double lotus, and a jewel.