Juyong Pass Cloud Platform

CHINA, Beijing

The platform is located at the Juyong Pass on the Great Wall of China in Changping district. It was once the base of a gateway pagoda dating back to the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) and is the oldest and largest example of such a structure. It was built between 1342 and 1345 during the Yuan dynasty. According to the records, there used to be three Tibetan stupas on top of the base but they were destroyed toward the end of the Yuan and the beginning of the Ming (1368–1644) dynasties. The base was later referred to as the Cloud Platform during the Ming dynasty. A small shrine was built on top of the platform but that was also destroyed. It was listed as a National Cultural Heritage Site in 1961.
The Cloud Platform is constructed from white marble and is 9.5 m high. The sides measure 27 m by 18 m. Stone balustrades surround the top of the platform. Each newel post has a spout in the shape of a dragon’s head located beneath for drainage. There is a five-sided gateway running from north to south.
The detailed carvings around the gateway are of two main types: one style is purely decorative and includes Buddhist images and floral patterns; the other is of inscriptions such as sutras, mantras, and records carved in diverse scripts featuring for Sanskrit, Tibetan, old Uighur script, Tangut, and Chinese characters. The Buddhist images are mostly Vajrayana and include images such as the five mandalas, Buddhas of the Ten Directions, Thousand Buddhas, Four Heavenly Kings, and vajras. They represent some of the best stone carvings from the Yuan dynasty.
The gateway has a special meaning for those who use it: “It allows all who pass to receive the highest respect.” One of the inscriptions reads, “All who pass will take refuge in the Buddha and receive the blessings of the Dharma.”