Ancient Architecture

Explore the beauty and wisdom of Chinese traditional architecture, from imperial palaces to ancient temples and vernacular dwellings.

Taishi Que

Taishi Que are the divine gateway towers in front of the Taishi Shrine, the predecessor of the Zhongyue Temple. They are located on the central axis, more than 600 meters in front of the Tianzhong Pavilion of the Zhongyue Temple, at the foot of Huanggai Peak of Taishi Mountain in the east of Dengfeng City. Later, they became an important building in the leading space of the Zhongyue Temple in successive dynasties. Taishi Que are the earliest existing temple towers in China, an important physical witness to the ancient worship of the Taishi Mountain god, and a model of ancient Chinese sacrificial ritual architecture.

Dengfeng City, Henan Province Han Dynasty

Songyue Pagoda

Located at the southern foot of Mount Taishi in Songshan, Dengfeng, Henan, the Songyue Pagoda has weathered 1500 years of wind and rain and is a brilliant star of early Chinese Buddhist architecture. This article not only examines the construction history of this Northern Wei twelve-sided brick pagoda in detail but also compiles important historical documents such as the 'Guang Hong Ming Ji' and the 'Stele of Songyue Temple'. Combining precious historical images from 1920 with modern research, we present a comprehensive view of this ancient pagoda's millennium-long transformation from a Northern Wei imperial palace to a Buddhist holy site.

Dengfeng, Henan Province Northern Wei (Northern and Southern Dynasties)

Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, officially known as the Ci'en Temple Pagoda, is located within the Da Ci'en Temple in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China. This magnificent seven-story square brick pagoda was first built in the Tang Dynasty under the supervision of the famous monk Xuanzang to store the Buddhist scriptures and statues he brought back from India. As one of the symbolic buildings of the ancient capital Chang'an, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda is not only a model of ancient Chinese pavilion-style pagodas but also a grand testament to cultural exchange between China and other countries, reflecting the glorious achievements of Buddhist architecture in the Tang Dynasty.

Xi'an, Shaanxi Province Tang Dynasty

Small Wild Goose Pagoda

The Small Wild Goose Pagoda, located in Xi'an, Shaanxi, was first built in 707 during the Tang Dynasty to store the Buddhist scriptures and statues brought back by the eminent monk Yijing. This dense-eaved brick pagoda witnessed the spread of Buddhism along the Silk Road, is an important part of the Jianfu Temple, one of the three major scripture translation sites in Chang'an during the Tang Dynasty, and is a precious relic of dense-eaved brick pagodas from the Tang Dynasty. It currently has 13 stories and is 43.38 meters high.

Xi'an, Shaanxi Province Tang Dynasty