Tianzhong Wanshou Pagoda

CHINA, Fujian, Putian

Tianzhong Wanshou means Heavenly Longevity. The pagoda was built in 1059 during the Northern Song dynasty. This style of pagoda is a Casket Seal Dharani Sutra Pagoda and was seen during the Eastern Jin (317–420) to Southern Dynasties (386–589). It was listed as a National Cultural Heritage Site in 2001.
The solid square pagoda is constructed from granite slabs. The length of each side of the base platform is 7.8 m. Directly above the base platform there is a three-layer Sumeru base, which is completely decorated with carvings. The bottom layer has two dragons on each side of the pagoda. The middle layer has carvings of floral patterns. The upper layer features three shallow niches on every side with seated Buddhas. Warriors can be found on each corner of the upper layer. A shallow niche with a seated Buddha is featured on every side of the pagoda body with garudas decorating the four corners. Two steles describing the restoration of the structure are embedded on the north side of the pagoda. Four leaf-shape decorations are located on each corner of the roof, which is a distinctive feature of this style of pagoda. The spire has five stacked rings which are carved from slabs of granite.