Inner Mongolia - Baorhan Pagoda
Baorhan Pagoda, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia
On the streets of Hohhot, a white pagoda stands quietly. This is Baorhan Pagoda. The pagoda is 81.3 meters tall and has nine floors. It combines unique Mongolian characteristics, and each floor has profound cultural connotations.
Baorhan Pagoda is located in Yuquan Park, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, about 300 meters west of the intersection of Ordos Street and Danan Street (Nanchafang) on the south side of the road. It was built on May 26, 2006. Baorhan Pagoda is in the style of the "Bodhi Pagoda" among the eight great pagodas. The pagoda is decorated with flame-shaped niches. The pagoda is composed of a base, thirteen heavens, a disc, and a top. The base is the transition between the pagoda and the body of the pagoda, and the four sides are decorated with Buddha eyes. The eyes of the Buddha are always watching everything in the world. The thirteen heavens, or "Xianglun," are circular planes, conical in shape, with a small top and a large bottom, representing the layers of the "heavens." A disc, or "canopy," is covered on top of the thirteen heavens, with tassels hanging down. The pagoda is topped with the sun, moon, and flames. This unique design not only reflects the cultural connotation of Buddhism but also leaves a deep impression on people.
Baorhan Pagoda is a "Bodhi Pagoda" designed, decorated, and consecrated by Longduo Living Buddha, the vice president of the Larung Gar Five Sciences Buddhist Academy in Seda, Sichuan. Longduo Living Buddha not only presided over the construction of the pagoda but also donated the relics of Shakyamuni Buddha (including brain relics, bone relics, and blood relics), as well as the relics of the ten great Arhats, including Ananda, Upali, Sariputra, and Sivali, as well as many precious scriptures and Buddha statues to Baorhan Pagoda. Therefore, it is known as the "world's first pagoda." From the bottom to the top, each floor of Baorhan Pagoda has a specific meaning. The layout of relics, Buddha statues, scriptures, Tsa Tsa statues, and treasure vases is carefully designed by the Living Buddha to form a powerful energy field in each part of the pagoda, which can gather the power of Buddhism to the greatest extent, radiate it to the surroundings, and bless every sentient being who is connected with it. This super-strong blessing power makes believers firmly believe that as long as they come to the pagoda to worship and circumambulate, they can obtain spiritual comfort, eliminate karma, and accumulate infinite merits, which is the connotation of being honored as the "world's first." In Buddhist culture, the merits of Baorhan Pagoda are immeasurable.
In front of Baorhan Pagoda, you can circumambulate the pagoda clockwise to feel peace and tranquility, or you can stop appropriately to pray or meditate.