Summer Palace Foxiang Pavilion

CHINA, Beijing

Foxiang stands for Buddha Fragrance. The Summer Palace is located at the foot of Wanshoushan (Longevity Hill). Between 1736 and 1795 during the Qing dynasty, plans were originally made to build a nine-story pagoda. However, construction was stopped when it reached the eighth story and the structure was changed to the Foxiang Pavilion. It was destroyed by British and French troops in 1860 and was restored during the rule of Emperor Guangxu (reigned 1875–1908) of the Qing dynasty. It is the highest and most distinguishable building in the Summer Palace. As part of the Summer Palace, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.
The imposing octagonal building has three stories and four eaves. It is 41 m high and stands on a 20 m high stone base. The pyramidal roof is covered with yellow glazed tiles and framed with green ones around the edges. All the columns, door, and window frames are painted in vermilion. Inside, the caisson ceiling is decorated with golden dragons, while the beams are colorfully painted.
A bronze statue of the Eleven-Headed, Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara stands in the center of the first story. It was cast in the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and moved here from Mituo (Amitabha) Temple in 1989. Behind Avalokitesvara there are colorful murals of three seated Buddhas.