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ICH | World Cultural Heritage the “Centre of Heaven and Earth” — Pagoda Forest at Shaolin Temple

Located at the foot of Shaoshi Mountain in Dengfeng, Henan, 300 meters west of the Shaolin Temple, the Pagoda Forest at Shaolin Temple covers an area of more than 14,000m2, making it the biggest ancient complex with the largest number of pagodas in China. It boasts 241 tomb pagodas with masonry structure built in the Tang Dynasty, the Five Dynasties, the Song Dynasty, the Great Jin, and the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. Wide varieties of scattered pagodas, with different sizes, heights, thicknesses and shapes, look like a thick forest, hence the name Pagoda Forest. Integrating the ancient brick and stone architecture, sculpture, calligraphy and the art of painting, it was praised by experts and scholars as Ancient Pagoda Art Museum and announced by the State Council as a national key cultural relics protection unit on November 20, 1996.

The pagoda is a product of Buddhism. It’s also known as Fu Tu, meaning the tomb, which is for monks in China. Usually, the bones or clothes of the dead are placed in pagodas. The Pagoda Forest at Shaolin Temple comprises the tombs of previous abbots or monks with achievements and contributions in the temple.

According to the rules and regulations of Buddhism, pagodas are only built for eminent monks after their death, and their merits will be carved on the gravestones to motivate newcomers. In addition to the influence of the styles and specific conditions in various historical periods (such as the war era and the change of dynasties), the shape, structure, tier, height and size of pagodas usually reflect the status, achievements and prestige of the deceased in the Buddhist circle. Except for a few ordinary pagodas (collective pagodas), most of the existing pagodas in the Pagoda Forest at Shaolin Temple are personal ones, thus the Pagoda Forest can be regarded as a biography of all previous eminent monks of Shaolin Temple.

Architectural features

Pagodas in the Pagoda Forest at Shaolin Temple are in various shapes (square, rectangle, hexagon, octagon and circle) and of wide varieties (multi-eaved pagodas, stupas[u1]  and Lama pagodas). With 1-7 tiers, the tallest one can reach two meters. Most of the pagodas are made of brick and stone, and everyone is engraved with delicate patterns and reliefs. Almost every pagoda has a tablet on the facade with the owner’s name written on it, and some of they have an epitaph with rich contents on the back. In addition, headstones are specially erected beside the pagodas of several influential monks, on which there are detailed records of their life stories, their inheritance of Buddhist doctrine, pagoda builders, the construction time and other information. Therefore, the Pagoda Forest at Shaolin Temple is not only an art treasury that integrates the ancient brick and stone architecture, sculpture and calligraphy, but a precious source of materials for studying the history of Buddhism and the Shaolin Temple.

Introduction of typical pagodas

1. Fawan Pagoda

As the earliest pagoda situated in the central and northern part of the Pagoda Forest, Fawan Pagoda was erected in the seventh year of Zhenyuan era in the Tang Dynasty (791). With a single eave, it is a quadrilateral pagoda that is more than 8 meters high. Being built of terrazzo tiles, the pagoda has 14 layers of overlapped eaves stretching out of the pagoda and a 5-layer pagoda finial at the top with exquisite carving. The first layer is a circular relief of “Flying Apsara”[u1] , the second one is a reel throne, the third one a lotus throne, the fourth one a stage-shaped stone and the top one an orb. Dignified warriors that hold swords are engraved on both sides of the carved stone door in front of the pagoda. On the locked door, there are 30 nails carved in five rows and two god birds with human bodies. The epitaph behind the pagoda records the life stories of Fawan, an eminent monk of Jing’ai Temple in Luoyang. Fawan Pagoda is well structured with appealing design, and the exquisite carving on the pagoda finial is the representative of the engraving art in the Tang Dynasty.

2. Zhihao Pagoda

Being built in November of the fifth year of Jiayou era in the Northern Song Dynasty (1060), the square Zhihao Pagoda with a single eave is located in the central and western part of the Pagoda Forest. It’s built of terrazzo tiles and the total side length is 106 meters. The eave protrudes much from the pagoda body, similar to those built in Tang Dynasty. In front of the pagoda, there is a tablet that has “Shaolin Pagoda of XX” engraved on it, with blanks at the end. Besides, an epitaph beginning with the words “Pagoda of the officially awarded abbot Zhihao of Shaolin Temple in Songshan Mountain” [XFY2] is carved on the back of the pagoda. The pagoda was built by Zhihao’s disciples, including Chongsu, Chongxian and Chongguo[u3] . According to the epitaph, the pagoda owner Zhihao was the abbot of the Shaolin Temple in the Song Dynasty. The words “awarded Sramana” show that he was awarded by the emperor, which indicates that emperors of the Song Dynasty had begun to grant rewards to abbots of the Shaolin Temple.

3. Yugong Pagoda

Yugong Pagoda, a multi-eaved hexagonal pagoda with seven tiers, was erected in the central part of the Pagoda Forest in the 24th year of Zhiyuan era during the reign of Emperor Shizu of Yuan (1287). The over 10-meter-high pagoda is one of the highest ones there. Being built of terrazzo tiles, the pagoda has bracket sets carved on the first-tier eave and a door with tile carving in front of it. Above the door, there is a stone tablet erected by Longchuan, then the abbot of the White Horse Temple in Luoyang, with the words “Yugong Pagoda of the Officer of the Chief Office of Buddhist Affairs and Guangzong Zhengfa Eminent Monk” on it. The statues of Kongorikishi that carved on the sunken parts of the six corners of the base have been damaged. On the six faces of the base, there are engraved lotuses, chrysanthemums and patterns of other plants. Being surrounded by the one-meter-high fence, Yugong Pagoda is well structured with exquisite workmanship, making it a gem among ancient pagodas. The owner Yugong, with the name Fuyu and the courtesy name Haowen, is also known by his pen-name Xueting. As a famous monk and abbot of the Shaolin Temple, he was granted such titles as the “Guangzong Zhengfa Eminent Monk” and Duke of Jin by Kublai Khan of the Yuan Dynasty. He was respected by all other monks in the Shaolin Temple for boosting the temple.

4. Zhugong Pagoda

Zhugong Pagoda lies in the northernmost part of the Pagoda Forest. Being constructed in the first year of Zhengda era of the Great Jin (1224), it is the latest pagoda in the Pagoda Forest. The 1.9-meter-high pagoda is carved of seven layers of bluestone and the bottom three layers are octagonal bases, on which there is an octagonal fan-shaped stone, with flowers and plants engraved on the first three faces and inscriptions on the other five ones. On the upper layers, there are carved patterns of upturned lotuses. The top layer, as the body of the pagoda, is a bell-shaped stone carving, with six lips engraved on the bell mouth and the inscription of “Zhugong Pagoda” on the front of the bell. Zhugong, named Guangzhu, served as the abbot of the Shaolin Temple in the second year of Yuanguang era (1223) and passed away in the first year of Zhengda era. Zhugong Pagoda can be counted as a fine work of art for its uniqueness and exquisite carving.

5. Xiaoshan Pagoda

Xiaoshan Pagoda is an over 10-meter-high Lama-style pagoda built in the central and southern part of the Pagoda Forest in the sixth year of Longqing era in the Ming Dynasty (1572). In the middle of the hexagonal Sumeru Throne of the pagoda base, there are tile carvings on the sunken parts. The body of the pagoda is in the shape of a bottle. The beautiful design and exquisite workmanship make Xiaoshan Pagoda a masterpiece of architecture in the Ming Dynasty. Monk Xiaoshan, the 24th abbot of the Shaolin Temple appointed by Jiajing Emperor, was famous for putting down Japanese pirates. His glorious deed of leading warrior monks to pacify Japanese pirates has been recorded in the history of the Chinese nation.

All in all, the Pagoda Forest at Shaolin Temple is a magnificent historical architectural complex. It’s not only a precious resource for studying the history of architecture, art and religion in China, but also an ideal place for visitors worldwide. In addition to the Pagoda Forest, 17 pagodas of all sizes erected in and after the Tang Dynasty are scattered in and around the temple, including four of the Tang Dynasty, four of the Five Dynasties, two of Song, one of Yuan, one of the Great Jin, one of Ming and four of Qing. Among these valuable pagodas, Faru Pagoda is constructed in the first year of Yongchang era in the Tang Dynasty (689). The tablet in the pagoda is of great value for studying the early Zen Buddhism.

Beside the Pagoda Forest at Shaolin Temple, there are some other well-known pagoda forests in China as follows. The Pagoda Forest at Lingyan Temple, situated in the west of Lingyan Temple in Changqing, Shandong, also has a large number of pagodas. The Pagoda Forest of the Fengxue Temple, located nine kilometers northeast of Ruzhou, Henan, boasts 73 pagodas of various types. Standing in the north of Longhu Pagoda in Baihu Mountain, Licheng, Shandong, Licheng Tomb Pagoda Forest comprises tomb pagodas of monks in the Song Dynasty, the Great Jin, and the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Self-driving routes

● Drive 40 minutes along the Zhengzhou-Shaolinsi Expressway (Zhengzhou-Dengfeng), get off the expressway at the west of Dengfeng and drive along China National Highway 207 (G207) northwestward for 10 kilometers.

● Drive 40 minutes along the Luoyang-Shaolinsi Expressway (Luoyang-Dengfeng), get off the expressway at the west of Dengfeng and drive along G207 northwestward for 10 kilometers.

● Drive 2 hours along the Shangqiu-Dengfeng Expressway (Shangqiu-Dengfeng), get off the expressway at the west of Dengfeng and drive along G207 northwestward for 10 kilometers.

Traffic routes for independent travel

Zhengzhou-Dengfeng

1. Take the coach at Zhengzhou Passenger Center Station (one shift every 30 minutes), transfer to Dengfeng-Shaolinsi Bus No.8 at Dengfeng Station or take a taxi to the destination with a driving time of 20 minutes.

2. Take the coach at Zhengzhou Passenger Terminal (one shift every 10 minutes), transfer to Dengfeng-Shaolinsi Bus No.8 at Dengfeng Station or take a taxi to the destination with a driving time of 20 minutes.

3. Take the coach at Zhengzhou High-speed Railway Hub (one shift every 30 minutes), transfer to Dengfeng-Shaolinsi Bus No.8 at Dengfeng Station or take a taxi to the destination with a driving time of 20 minutes.

Copyright by Zhengzhou Municipal Tourism Administration