Tai Pagoda

CHINA, Shaanxi, Xianyang

According to an inscription, the pagoda was built in 1059 during the Northern Song dynasty. It has been repaired a number of times. It was listed as a National Cultural Heritage Site in 2001.
The seven-story, octagonal, brick and wood pagoda is 53 m high. It was built with only a single wall and is hollow inside. There is an arched doorway on the north side of the first story leading to a small chamber, where there are wooden stairs. From the second story upwards each story has four arched doorways and four false doors, which alternate with those above and below. Each side is divided into three bays by brick pilasters and the outer bays contain vertical bar windows or lattice windows. The eaves are in the form of corbeling and are supported by bracket sets. Hip rafters made from stone and carved into the shape of dragons’ heads protrude at the corners. The pyramidal roof is surmounted by a stone spire in the form of an inverted bowl with a three-pronged finial. These were added when the pagoda was being repaired in 1950.