The origin of the East-West Tower in Quanzhou
East-West Pagoda: The tallest pair of existing stone pagodas in China, located in Quanzhou Kaiyuan Temple on West Street in Quanzhou City.
Kaiyuan Temple was built in the second year of Chuigong in the Tang Dynasty (AD 686) and has a long history of more than 1,300 years.
The temple is magnificent in scale, covering an area of more than 78,000 square meters.
The majestic Main Hall, Nectar Altar, Sutra Pavilion and East and West Pagodas are world-famous for their ancient and exquisite architectural art and unique charm.
It is a national key cultural relic protection unit.
The twin towers on both sides of Kaiyuan Temple are the "Zhenguo Tower" in the east, 48.27 meters high, and the "Renshou Tower" in the west, 45.06 meters high.
The East and West Towers are the tallest and largest pair of stone towers in China.
East Pagoda
Located on the east side in front of the Main Hall of Kaiyuan Temple, it is a famous national pagoda.
In the sixth year of Xiantong in the Tang Dynasty (865), a five-story wooden pagoda was built.
During the Tianxi period of the Song Dynasty (1017-1021), it was changed to 13 floors. It suffered a fire in the 25th year of Shaoxing (1155) and was rebuilt in the 13th year of Chunxi (1186).
In the third year of Baoqing (1227), it was rebuilt into a 7-story brick tower.
In the second year of Jiaxi (1238), Seng Benhong rebuilt it into a stone pagoda, with only one floor built. Later, Seng Faquan built it to the fourth floor, and Tianzhu Seng Tianxi built the fifth floor and The top of the tower lasted for 12 years.
The tower is a granite pavilion-like building with an octagonal spire and imitation wood.
There is an iron incense burner and a copper treasure cover on the tower cover. The octagonal eaves angle iron chain on the top of the tower is connected to the tower brake, and the spire of the tower brake is equipped with a Wojin gourd.
The tower body consists of outer wall, outer corridor, inner corridor, tower core pillar and other parts.
The center of the tower is a stone octagonal core pillar, and the outside is a corridor. The core of the tower is connected with the outer wall of the tower by beams and brackets; there are four doors on the front of the outer wall and four niches on the sides. , the positions of the door niches are interchanged layer by layer to reduce the pressure on the upper level; on both sides of the door are carved relief statues of warriors, kings of heaven, vajras, arhats, gods, Buddhist disciples, etc., 2 meters high and 1 meter wide, and on both sides of the niches are carved costumes There are 80 statues on five floors with different postures, weapons and expressions, distinctive personalities and lifelike shapes.
There is an eaves gallery around the tower, and there are flat railings outside the gallery.
There is a Xumizuo on the base of the tower, with a diameter of 18.5 meters, a circumference of 60 meters, and a height of 1.50 meters. The waist part is made of diabase reliefs with 40 images of the Buddha, and the carving is exquisite.
The whole tower is 48.24 meters high (the bottom floor is 7.37 meters high, the second floor is 7.19 meters, the third floor is 6.73 meters, the fourth floor is 6.22 meters, the fifth floor is 8.05 meters, the tower is 11.18 meters, and the base diameter is 1.50 meters) The main structure uses 40 large columns, 40 large and small beams, 192 large buckets, 440 small buckets, 112 large arches, and 80 small arches, all carved from huge granite stones.
West Pagoda
Located on the west side in front of the Main Hall, it is called Renshou Pagoda.
During the Liang Zhenming period of the Five Dynasties (915-920), a seven-level wooden pagoda was built, named Wuliangshou Pagoda. In the fourth year of Zhenghe of the Song Dynasty (1114), it was renamed Renshou.
Shaoxing suffered a fire in the twenty-fifth year (1155) and was rebuilt into a brick pagoda during the Chunxi period (1174-1189).
In the first year of Shaoding (1228), it was rebuilt into a stone pagoda and completed in the first year of Jiaxi (1237). The East Pagoda was built ten years ago.
The regulations are the same as the East Tower, slightly smaller than the East Tower, 44.06 meters high (the bottom floor is 6.63 meters, the second floor is 6.79 meters, the third floor is 5.80 meters, the fourth floor is 5.65 meters, the fifth floor is 8.59 meters, and the tower is 8.29 meters , base diameter 2.31 meters).
The stone carving craftsmanship is simpler than that of the East Pagoda. There are 80 statues on both sides of the doors and niches on each floor, with different shapes, rough lines, and simple clothes (mostly monk robes). kind.