[2025 Anyang County Attraction] Travel Guide for Xiuding Pagoda (Updated May)

Xiuding Temple Pagoda, hidden in a small village near Qingliang Mountain in Anyang, was first built during the Northern Qi Dynasty and renovated during the Tang Dynasty. The pagoda body is made of carved bricks with exquisite patterns, showcasing a strong ethnic minority style and reflecting the characteristics of the period of great national integration. This type of pagoda is the only one of its kind in the country and is known as the First Chinese Pagoda. It is worth a visit for ancient architecture enthusiasts.

It is only 30 kilometers from Anyang city to Xiuding Temple Pagoda in the western suburbs, but it takes an hour to drive there. When we arrived, looking at the surroundings, we could hardly believe that this was the legendary "No. 1 Hua Pagoda in the World". There is no admission fee, and there is simply a circle of railings. Surrounded by farmland and the daily lives of villagers, this casual and uninhibited atmosphere is surprising. The Xiuding Temple Pagoda is a single-story square Buddhist pagoda decorated with brick carvings. Because the tower is painted red, it is commonly known as the "Red Tower". The tower body is square and the original tower is about 20 meters high. There is a brick base under the tower, and the exterior is inlaid with relief bricks, forming a waisted Sumeru pedestal. The patterns are different on the tower body and there are more than 30 kinds of patterns, including heavenly kings, strong men, musicians, flying apsaras, rolling dragons, flying geese, curtains, flowers and brackets imitating wooden architectural structures. The four walls of the tower are made of molded bricks of various shapes, among which the bricks on the four walls are mainly diamond-shaped. According to historical records, this tower was built as a treasure tent for the future Buddha Maitreya, so the brick carvings on the tower originated from Buddhist scriptures about Maitreya belief during the Northern Qi Dynasty. The theme pattern on the tower wall is the Buddhist instruments "Seven Treasures", which are arranged horizontally in the diamond-shaped wall. The wheel treasure is in the center, and the minister treasure, jade girl treasure, white elephant treasure, blue horse treasure, Mani treasure and general treasure are on both sides. They are mostly used in the religious environment of emperors worshipping Buddhism, symbolizing the unity of the four directions. Arranged after the "Seven Political Treasures" are the Heavenly King, Dragon, Lion and the Snake-Subduing Warrior. The entire wall is based on a horizontal pattern, which is repeated in six layers from top to bottom. It is interspersed with six ribbons of strong men holding rings, flowers, and silver bells hanging from each wall, and is attached with four carved coiled dragon corner columns, forming an elaborate, dense, exquisite and wonderful overall wall image. In the center of the arched gate is a door knocker, with the niche beam at its mouth. On both sides are a pair of side dragon heads facing the center. Below the dragon head, there is a pair of naked snake-holding gods, who obviously serve as the guardian gods of Buddhism. A blue dragon and a white tiger are inlaid on the east and west sides of the upper end of the doorposts respectively. The dragon and the tiger are tumbling and diving in the clouds and mist. A four-walled warrior is inlaid on the upper outer side and parallel to the sides of the dragon and tiger. The existing Xiuding Temple relief brick pagoda is the earliest existing ancient pagoda in my country and has great historical value. The shape and workmanship of the pagoda are extremely exquisite, with a unique style and the style of the early Western Region Cishi Baozhang, and has high artistic value. Now it has been verified that it is the only remaining tower of the twin towers that stood side by side since the Northern Qi, Sui and Tang Dynasties. It is also the earliest and most valuable example of a pair of towers standing side by side in my country known to date. Xiuding Temple Pagoda

Xiuding Temple is located on the west side of Qingliang Mountain Village, 35 kilometers northwest of Anyang, and was originally built during the Northern Wei Dynasty. It was destroyed several times afterwards. In April of the tenth year of the Zhenguan era, Emperor Taizong of Tang rebuilt Xiuding Temple on a large scale to pray for blessings for Empress Zhangsun, and Xiuding Temple remained splendid until the Qing Dynasty. The Tang pagoda is a square-shaped, single-eave pavilion-style brick pagoda, about 16 meters high, with a simple exterior. The outer walls of the pagoda are covered with various carvings, and what is remarkable is that these carvings are all made up of various rectangular, diamond-shaped, pentagonal, triangular, and other shaped bricks. The content includes Buddhist figures such as Heavenly Kings, strongmen, and flying apsaras, as well as Taoist figures like immortals, children, and maidservants, and also traditional folk patterns such as the Azure Dragon and White Tiger.

The Xiu Ding Temple Pagoda, commonly known as the 'Tang Pagoda,' is located within the Xiu Ding Temple on the southern foothills of Qingliang Mountain, more than 30 kilometers northwest of Anyang City, Henan Province, where now only the pagoda remains with the temple in ruins. The lintel of the southern door is engraved with the Buddhas of the three times, hence the name 'Three Lives Pagoda'. The Xiu Ding Temple Pagoda is a single-story square relief brick stupa for preserving Buddhist relics. The pagoda consists of three parts: the top, the main body, and the base, with a total height of 20 meters; the main body is 9.30 meters high and 8.3 meters wide. The pagoda has a hollow structure with three solid walls and an arched doorway on the south side. The base of the pagoda is a Northern Qi construction, with an octagonal plan, while the main body has a square plan. The base features a belted Sumeru pedestal, and the top is a single-layered eave. An elliptical precious vase is placed on the top of the pagoda, supported by an upturned lotus, and the pagoda's chamber is built with rectangular small bricks. The entire pagoda is inlaid with molded glazed flower bricks in various shapes such as diamond, rectangle, triangle, and parallelogram. The high-relief bricks depict figures such as immortals, warriors, maids, flying apsaras, musicians, children, strongmen, dragons, tigers, lions, heavenly horses, pythons, and flowers, totaling 3775 pieces. The design, structure, layout, and craftsmanship of the Xiu Ding Temple Pagoda are treasures among ancient Chinese pagodas and are of significant importance for the study of ancient Chinese architectural history, art history, ethnic history, religious history, as well as for the research on the earthquake resistance of buildings. Geographical location: On the southern foothills of Qingliang Mountain, more than 30 kilometers northwest of Anyang City, Henan Province.

Xiuding Temple Pagoda is located in Anyang, Henan, and was originally built during the Northern Wei Dynasty. The entire pagoda is composed of 3,775 exquisitely unique glazed bricks, giving the whole structure an incredibly prosperous feel; such carvings on a pagoda are truly unprecedented. The brick carvings are rich in content, featuring figures, animals, flowers, etc. They are detailed and lifelike; I can no longer find the words to describe these carvings. 24 of the brick carvings were stolen and lost overseas, which is a great pity. Some have been replaced, but the difference can still be seen. It is said that a single brick from the Xiuding Temple Pagoda can buy a house in Beijing. If the pagoda is locked, you can go to the courtyard opposite to find someone to unlock it.

A hidden treasure in Anyang, Henan — the Xiuding Temple Pagoda. 🏰🗺️ The Xiuding Temple Pagoda was originally built during the Northern Qi dynasty, renovated during the Sui and Tang dynasties, and in the Ming dynasty, a tri-colored glazed pagoda top was added, making it a historical gem. 🏰🔨 Although I have seen many ancient pagodas, the Xiuding Temple Pagoda still impresses me, never causing aesthetic fatigue. 🌟👀 This pagoda is located in the middle of a village, surrounded by vast farmlands, but none of these can overshadow its brilliance. The reliefs covering the pagoda are vivid and rich, seemingly narrating the stories of history. 🌾🏞️ Next time I have the chance, I definitely want to take a closer look at these exquisite reliefs. 👓🔍 The Xiuding Temple Pagoda is a second batch national key cultural relics protection unit, unfortunately, it's a bit far away, but this also makes it appear more mysterious and unique. 🏰🗺️ If you are someone who loves history and exploration, then the Xiuding Temple Pagoda is definitely worth your while to discover. 🚶‍♂️🧭

The Xiuding Temple Pagoda is the only existing brick structure square Buddhist pagoda in China that has all four walls decorated with molded relief bricks. It is located at the former site of Xiuding Temple on the southern foot of Qingliang Mountain, 35 kilometers northwest of Anyang City, Henan Province. Xiuding Temple was one of the four famous temples in Beiqi of Anyang, along with Lingquan Temple, Honggu Temple, and Yunmen Temple. It was a Zen temple for eminent monks of the Buddhist Dialectical School in Yecheng, especially Xiuding Temple, which was personally decreed by Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi, giving it a special status. The Xiuding Temple Pagoda is famous for its gorgeously decorated relief bricks that make up the body of the pagoda. It is said to have 72 different patterns, with as many as 3,775 bricks. The patterns include images of Triratna, four-armed guardian kings, and more often, the Seven Treasures of the Wheel King. The four walls of the Xiuding Temple Pagoda are essentially a grand scroll with the Seven Treasures as the main theme. Apart from the pagoda gate section, the four walls of the pagoda are divided into five areas by hanging curtains made of tassels, colored bells, and ribbons. The central core area features the Golden Wheel Treasure surrounded by dancers and flying apsaras, while the side areas feature combinations of the Three Treasures of beads, elephants, and laymen, and the Three Treasures of soldiers, horses, and women, respectively. The outer areas consist of guardian combinations made up of makaras, lions, dragon kings, and guardian kings. As for whether this ornately decorated ancient pagoda can be called the 'number one tower in the world,' I believe you have your own answer?

[See the Central Plains in Henan·Anyang·Ancient and Bizarre, As if Created by Nature] We saw many pagodas along the way on this trip, including the Nan'an Temple Pagoda in Weixian, the Jueshan Temple Pagoda in Lingqiu, the Yuanjue Temple Pagoda in Hunyuan, the Guangsheng Temple Pagoda in Hongdong, etc. However, this pagoda is so strange. It looks like a pagoda but it is not. It is short and fat. It is really unremarkable from a distance, but when you approach it step by step, you can only marvel at it again and again - this is the beautiful "strange" pagoda 30 kilometers away from the outskirts of Anyang - the Xiuding Temple Pagoda. The Xiuding Temple Pagoda was first built in the Northern Qi Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, the four sides of the pagoda were inlaid with more than 3,000 high-relief bricks. The brick carvings are a clever combination of various patterns such as strong men, ladies, children, animals, flowers, etc. It is simply as if it were created by nature and is extremely beautiful! You know, these brick carvings have gone through more than 1,200 years and have experienced many misfortunes. Although some have been damaged and lost, it is not easy for them to be well preserved to this day, and there is only one such building in China. Tips: Xiuding Temple Pagoda is the only existing Tang Dynasty brick-structured pagoda in China with its entire surface inlaid with molded decorative tiles. The tower is single-storey, with a square plan and pointed roofs at the four corners. The original height was about 20 meters, but the top of the tower has been destroyed. The tower is 9.3 meters high and 8.3 meters wide on each side. It consists of three parts: the base, the tower body, and the top. The entire tower is inlaid with high-relief bricks, and the four walls of the tower are decorated with molded diamond, rectangle, triangle, parallelogram, pentagon and various shapes of carved bricks combining straight lines and curves, leaving no blank space. The tower has an exquisite composition and rigorous structure, and a close look reveals magnificent brick reliefs throughout. There are horseshoe-shaped corner columns with round flowers at the four corners, and climbing secondary columns with rolling dragons on both sides. The upper eaves project outward to form a canopy, and the concave gourd decoration serves as the roof. From a distance, it looks like a luxurious square sedan facing south and north. According to statistics, the high relief bricks inlaid in the Xiuding Temple Pagoda include real people, warriors, maids, flying apsaras, musicians, boys, strong men, dragons, tigers, lions, Pegasus, pythons, various flowers, ribbons, etc., totaling 3,775 pieces, covering an area of ​​300 square meters. There are 89 kinds of carved bricks with different patterns and shapes in the whole tower, 30 kinds of carved bricks have been excavated and collected, totaling 119 kinds. 📝Note tips: Please contact the cultural relics protection officer to see if it is open in the near future (visit is allowed).

▲A severely underestimated Buddhist pagoda - Anyang Xiuding Temple Pagoda Buddhist holy land, magnificent relief stupa, treasure of history! 35 kilometers northwest of Anyang, Xiuding Temple, the shining place of Buddhist history in the Eastern Wei, Northern Qi, Sui and Tang Dynasties!! Xiuding Temple Pagoda, is simply a masterpiece of architectural art! A brick-built stupa, the outer wall is inlaid with 3775 different relief bricks. The patterns are colorful, real people, maids, children, foreigners, warriors, flying sky, each is lifelike! The animal patterns are not inferior! The dragon travels through the clouds, the lion roars to the sky, the elephant carries jewels, and the heavenly horse runs through the clouds! The combination of movement and stillness is beautiful! The shape, structure, layout, and craftsmanship are all unique! This is the unique example of ancient pagodas! Coming to Xiuding Temple, it's like traveling through time and space, feeling the crystallization of ancient wisdom and art. You must personally experience this grandeur and beauty!