Tianning Temple Pagoda in Beijing

Tianning Temple

synonym

Tianning Temple Pagoda in Beijing generally refers to Tianning Temple Pagoda (Temple Pagoda in Xicheng District of Beijing)

Tianning Temple Tower is a Buddhist building in Liao Dynasty. In Tianning Temple outside Guang'an gate, Xicheng District, Beijing (formerly Xuanwu District).

A brief introduction to the pagoda

Tianning Temple Pagoda, according to the Qing Dynasty "rixiajiuwen Kao" cited old book research, the temple was built in the 5th century when Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty, initially known as Guanglin temple. Sui Renshou two years (602) known as Hongye temple. Tang Kaiyuan changed to Tianwang temple. In 1181, Jin Dading changed its name to Da Wan'an temple. In the Yuan Dynasty, the temples were destroyed by the fire, but the temples did not exist.

It was rebuilt in Yongle period of Ming Dynasty, and its present name was changed in Xuande period. Tianning Temple faces south from the north. There is an existing ancient pagoda. In the Qing Dynasty, Shanmen and Mituo hall were rebuilt, and the inscriptions of Tianning Temple were rebuilt twice in 1756 and 1782.

Tianning Temple Pagoda was built without a clear chronology. According to Liang Sicheng's textual research, it should be built in Liao Dynasty. It was repaired many times in Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is one of the famous ancient pagodas in Beijing.

Cultural relics protection

In 1988, with the completion of the Xixiang project in Beijing, Tianning Temple Tower was renovated and declared as a national key cultural relic protection unit, becoming a beautiful scenery in the capital.

Layout structure

Tianning Temple Tower is the oldest existing building on the ground in Beijing. According to Liang Sicheng, a famous architect, the Tianning pagoda was built in 1083 A.D. in the ninth year of the Liao Dynasty.

According to the Liao Dynasty tower stele found during the overhaul in 1992, the tower was built in 1119-1120 A.D. from the 9th to 10th year of Tianqing, Emperor Tianzuo of Liao Dynasty

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The tower of Tianning Temple, 57.8 meters high, is a solid brick tower with octagonal 13 story eaves and dense eaves. The overall structure from bottom to top is: base, flat seat, inverted lotus seat, tower body, 13 storey tower eaves, tower top, Baozhu, tower brake.

Sculpture

The base is octagonal and divided into two layers. Each side of the lower base is divided into six pot door shaped niches by short columns, with a lion head carved inside. The upper layer is slightly inward, with five pot door shaped niches on each side. Inside, there are reliefs of sitting Buddha, and the upper and lower corners are all embossed with figures of Vajra. There are three layers of the inverted rosette, which bears the body of the tower. There are semicircular doors on all sides of the tower. On both sides of the door, there are carvings of Vajra, Bodhisattva and Yunlong. The statue is vivid and lifelike.

The eaves of the thirteen storey pagoda are reduced layer by layer, showing a rich and powerful rolling brake. The shape of the whole tower is handsome, straight and magnificent, which reflects the superb level of architectural art in Liao Dynasty. The tower is a brick tower with dense eaves, octagonal in plane, 57.8 meters in height, and square platform in foundation. At the bottom is xumizuo, where the lion head is carved on the door of xumizuo's waist, the lotus pattern of tangled branches is embossed on the pillar, and the statue of Vajra is carved on the corner. On the seat of Xumi, there is a waist girdle. Inside the door of Xumi, there is a statue of sitting Buddha. At the corner and between the pillars, there are statues of Vajra.

The upper part of the base is a flat base, with the palisade and Dougong imitating wood structure, and three layers of inverted rosette are built to support the tower. The four facades of the tower are arched, and the statue of the king of heaven is carved on the side of the door. The other four sides are straight lattice windows with brick statues of Bodhisattvas carved on the side of the windows. They are vivid and are the best sculptures of the Liao Dynasty. The eaves of the tower are 13 layers of cornices, which are folded layer by layer to form a gentle arc. Under the eaves of each tower, double copy brick Dougong with wooden structure is applied. At the top of the tower, two layers of star anise are used to support the small Xumi seat to carry the Pearl.

architectural style

Tianning Temple Pagoda shows the architectural style of Liao Dynasty dense eaves brick Pagoda in overall modeling and local techniques, which is an important example of studying ancient Chinese pagodas.

At the same time, the tower is an important basis for studying the location of Nanjing (now known as Beijing) in Liao Dynasty.

in disrepair

The tower has been in disrepair for a long time and has been seriously damaged by natural disasters. The Tangshan earthquake in July 1976 affected Beijing. The top of the tower was seriously damaged, the tower brake collapsed, the tower poles were exposed, and some brick carvings were also damaged.

Address: outside Guang'an gate, Xicheng District, Beijing

Longitude: 116.3406138919

Latitude: 39.889725531546

Chinese PinYin : Bei Jing Tian Ning Si Ta