The 'Three Lives Pagoda'—the Xiu Ding Temple Pagoda

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.