Pagoda of Xiuding Temple, Buddhist pagoda at Qingliang Mountain, Anyang County, China
The Pagoda of Xiuding Temple is a square brick tower on Qingliang Mountain with an octagonal base and a damaged upper section. It was built using thousands of specially carved bricks that form intricate patterns across its entire surface.
The tower was built between 627 and 649 during the Tang Dynasty when the temple was thriving. After the temple was destroyed in the late Qing period, the pagoda survived intact as the only remaining structure from that era.
The carved bricks on the walls show Buddhist figures, Chinese symbols, and dancers from different ethnic groups, reflecting how open the Tang Dynasty was to many cultures. Walking around the base, you notice how these images tell stories of exchange and connection between different peoples.
Visit early in the morning when sunlight hits the carved bricks clearly, making details easier to see. Reaching this mountain location requires traveling by your own transport or joining a local tour, as public options are limited.
The outer walls use specially shaped bricks arranged into squares, diamonds, pentagons, and triangles to create geometric patterns. This brick puzzle reveals how Tang builders used complex masonry techniques to turn their tower into a work of mathematical design.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
