The
Iron Pagoda is located
at the northeastern
corner of Kaifeng. It is
a huge pagoda built of
glazed bricks, but it
looks like an iron-cast
one, hence the name
"Iron Pagoda". The iron
pagoda is a most
valuable structure left
over from the Northern
Song Dynasty more than
900 years ago.
The pagoda is a
thirteen-storeyed
building. It is 55.9
meters high, which is
the tallest and largest
among the existent
glazed-brick pagodas in
China. The tower was
designed in the form of
an octagon with each
side measuring 4.16
meters in width at the
base and tapering
upwards. The whole
pagoda is covered with
more than 80 different
varieties of colorfully
glazed bricks. There is
a 168-step brick
staircase inside the
pagoda spiraling up
along its central
pillar.
There are many
"structural bricks" of
different shapes and
sizes in different parts
of the interior of the
pagoda. The "structural
bricks" have tenons and
mortises, which fit in
well when assembled.
They look like chiseled
wood. It is surprising
that although no wood
was used in building the
pagoda, some of its
bricks were baked in the
shape of tiles, pillars
or rafters, so that when
completed it looks very
attractive with its
wood-like eaves, rafters
and tiles.
A few dozens meters to
the south of the pagoda
is an octagonal Buddhist
pavilion in which stands
a bronze Buddha statue
of more than five meters
high weighing almost
twelve tons. Dignified
in manner, the Buddha
statue is said to be a
relic from the Song
Dynasty (420-479A.D.). |