Chongjiaoxingfu Temple Pagoda

CHINA, Jiangsu, Suzhou

Commonly known as Square Pagoda due to its shape, this pagoda is considered to be one of the larger Song-style, multi-story pagodas in southern China. It was built in 1130 during the Southern Song dynasty, but it was dismantled and rebuilt between 1265 and 1274 of the same dynasty. The temple was destroyed in 1860 during the Qing dynasty, with only the pagoda remaining. The pagoda was listed as a National Cultural Heritage Site in 2006.
The nine-story, square, brick and timber pagoda is 67 m high. The entrance is located on the west side of the first story. All stories above the first have three bays, with a doorway located in the central bay and fake vertical bar windows in the side bays. The eaves are supported by bracket sets on top of the columns. Each story above the first is surrounded by balustrades with geometric patterns. The chamber of the first story is octagonal, while those above are square. They can be accessed by wooden ladders. The 15 ton iron spire is supported by a central pillar, which starts on the floor of the seventh story and passes through the roof.