Xumi Pagoda, Buddhist temple in Zhengding, China
Xumi Pagoda is a brick and stone Buddhist tower located in Zhengding County, Hebei Province, China. It rises through nine tiers of roof edges on a square base, and a damaged bixi statue, a mythical tortoise-dragon creature, stands near its entrance.
The pagoda was built in 636 during the Tang Dynasty, under the reign of Emperor Taizong, at a time when Buddhist construction was spreading across the empire. It is one of the few Tang-era pagodas in northern China that has survived largely intact to the present day.
The base of the pagoda is decorated with stone carvings showing Buddhist figures and symbols that visitors can study up close. These details give a clear sense of how craftsmen of that period expressed religious ideas through their work in stone.
The exterior of the pagoda and the bixi statue near the entrance can be seen without going inside, as the interior is closed to visitors due to missing stairs. Taking time to walk around the full base of the tower gives the best view of the stone carvings.
The bixi statue near the entrance was buried underground for centuries and only came to light during excavation work in 2000. It was left in its damaged state on the site rather than restored, so visitors see it exactly as it was found.
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