The official name of the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda is the Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple. Located in Ying County, Shuozhou, Shanxi Province, if ancient Shanxi architecture is a treasure trove, then this pagoda is undoubtedly its “crown jewel.” In 1961, it was listed among the first batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level. In September 2016, Guinness World Records certified it as the “World’s Tallest Wooden Pagoda.”
It holds three nearly unmatched records:
- It is the tallest surviving ancient pure wooden pagoda in the world, standing approximately 67.3 meters high.
- It is the oldest surviving large-scale wooden pagoda in China, originally built in the second year of the Qingning era of the Liao Dynasty (1056 AD), boasting a history of nearly 1,000 years.
- It is one of the largest surviving pure wooden pavilion-style structures in the world, hailed as the pinnacle of Chinese wooden architectural technology.
It adopts a design of “five visible stories and four hidden ones,” meaning that while five stories are visible from the outside, four mezzanine levels are concealed within, creating a total of nine interior floors. Hardly any iron nails were used; instead, it relies primarily on mortise-and-tenon joinery, beam-and-column frameworks, and the interlocking load-bearing mechanics of numerous dougong brackets and wooden components. Most notably, it features 54 distinct types of dougong, making it virtually a three-dimensional “Encyclopedia of Dougong.”
Throughout history, the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda has withstood multiple severe earthquakes, lightning strikes, gales, and wartime devastation. Notably, during the warlord conflicts of 1926, it was struck by hundreds of artillery shells. Many modern seismic-resistant design concepts can trace their prototypes to this pagoda, making it a vital case study for researching ancient engineering techniques.
It is not merely an architectural structure but also a Buddhist pagoda; the first floor houses an approximately 11-meter-tall statue of Sakyamuni Buddha. Each level features Buddha statues, painted sculptures, and murals. In the 1970s, a vast collection of Liao Dynasty artifacts was discovered, including precious relics such as sutra scrolls and Buddha tooth sariras, providing crucial materials for the study of Liao Dynasty Buddhism and woodblock printing.
At the very top hangs a plaque inscribed with the characters “Jun Ji Shen Gong” (Divine Craftsmanship Reaching the Heights), written by Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty.
Regrettably, due to long-standing issues such as tilting, timber aging, and localized deformation, only the ground floor and exterior perimeter are open to visitors to ensure the relic’s protection.
The Yingxian Wooden Pagoda is not only a masterpiece of ancient Chinese architecture but also a miracle in the global history of wooden construction. Integrating the carpentry skills, Buddhist culture, and engineering wisdom of Liao Dynasty artisans, it stands as a nearly 70-meter-tall pure wooden tower that has weathered almost a millennium of storms without modern reinforced concrete or heavy machinery, rightfully earning the title “The Pinnacle of Chinese Wooden Architecture.”
The scenic area itself is currently quite compact. Outside the gate lies a modest commercial street, while inside, aside from the pagoda, there are no other attractions. Since climbing the pagoda is prohibited, visitors can only view it from below; those who move quickly might finish their visit in just 10 minutes. The parking lot is located quite far away—a massive park has been built north of the scenic area, requiring a walk of approximately 1.1 km through the park to reach the entrance.
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