Seven-character quatrains praising Dingzhou Tower

The seven-character quatrains praising Dingzhou Tower are as follows:

1. Dingzhou Tower reaches into the sky and stands unshakable for thousands of years. It remains strong despite wind and rain, as high as a needle holding the sea. The solitary tower has 3,000 levels, and you can lean down and see the birds passing by. But knowing that the sky is vast and far away, there is no such thing as Xiu Cagao. The sound of bells is heard in the sand, and the light shines on the river. Who among the sages of the past looked upon this, Han, Song and Dongpo.

2. This poem describes the majesty and magnificence of Dingzhou Tower, as well as the scene seen when climbing the tower. In addition, there are many other poems that also praise the beauty of Dingzhou Tower. You can check related poetry collections or consult local literature enthusiasts to get more poems praising Dingzhou Tower.

3. Dingzhou Pagoda, located in Dingzhou City, Hebei Province, formerly known as Kaiyuan Temple Pagoda, is the tallest existing brick-wood structure ancient pagoda in China and is known as the first pagoda in China. Dingzhou Tower was built in 1001, the fourth year of Xianping reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty, and took 55 years to complete. The tower has 11 floors and is 83.7 meters high, which is equivalent to a 27-story building. The tower body is octagonal and has a cone-like appearance. The outer wall of the tower body is inlaid with limestone. There are steps, doors and windows on each floor for visitors to climb and enjoy. There is a spiral staircase inside the tower that leads directly to the top of the tower.

4. According to historical records, Dingzhou Pagoda was built by Huineng, a monk from Kaiyuan Temple. In the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty, Huineng went to the West to obtain scriptures and obtained the legendary relics in Buddhism. After returning to Dingzhou, he reported his Buddhist experience to Song Zhenzong and requested that a pagoda be built in Dingzhou to worship the relics. Song Zhenzong approved his request and issued an edict to build a pagoda in Kaiyuan Temple.

5. During the construction of Dingzhou Tower, many advanced construction technologies and techniques of the time were used. The construction of the tower had a profound impact on the economic, cultural and social development of the time. During the construction of the tower, some magical stories and legends also happened, such as gods carrying stones, Feng Shui masters giving guidance on building the tower, etc.

Introduction to Dingzhou Pagoda

Dingzhou Pagoda, also known as Liaodi Pagoda, is commonly known as "Kaiyuan Temple Pagoda" because it was built in Kaiyuan Temple. It is located in the Kaiyuan Temple on the east side of the South City Gate in Dingzhou City, Hebei Province. In the fourth year of Xianping in the Northern Song Dynasty (1001), Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty issued an edict to build a temple and a pagoda in order to enshrine the Buddhist scriptures and relics that the monks of Kaiyuan Temple could retrieve from ancient India.