Zhuozhou Twin Pagodas

CHINA, Hebei, Baoding

The twin pagodas are two of the few remaining Liao dynasty (907–1125) multi-story tower-style pagodas. They stand 260 m apart: the one in the north is called Yunju (Cloud Dwelling) Temple Pagoda, while the one in the south is Zhidu (Perfection of Wisdom) Temple Pagoda. Yunju Temple Pagoda was built in 1092 during the Liao dynasty; however, the exact year of construction for Zhidu Temple Pagoda is unknown, but it was built in the same dynasty. Both temples no longer exist. Zhidu Temple Pagoda was extensively damaged due to war in 1927, the Tangshan Earthquake in 1976, as well as water erosion over the years. It was not until 2001 that repairs were undertaken. Yunju Temple Pagoda has been regularly repaired and has retained its original appearance. Both pagodas were listed as National Cultural Heritage Sites in 2001.
Both brick pagodas are octagonal and built in imitation of a timber structure. Zhidu Temple Pagoda has five stories and a height of 44 m, while Yunju Temple Pagoda has six stories and is 55.7 m high. A pagoda with an even number of stories is quite rare in China. Both structures have imitation timber bracket sets. On every story there are arched doorways facing the four cardinal directions, while the remaining sides have false vertical bar windows. In both pagodas there is a central pillar constructed from brick. It has stairs up to the roof. The space surrounding the central pillar forms a passageway.