Chinese Buddhist Pagoda Architecture

Timeline

1. c. 900–950Suzhou · ChinaDuring the Five Dynasties, brick and stone Buddhist pagodas were widely built in Jiangnan and the Central Plains; examples like the Tiger Hill Pagoda combined brick barrel walls with timber framing, with dense-eaves and tower-style forms coexisting, significantly improving structural durability.
2. c. 950–980Yingxian · ChinaThe Liao dynasty Yingxian timber pagoda was completed in 1056 CE, but its timber construction techniques can be traced back to the late 10th century; multi-storied timber pagodas used bracket sets and tube-in-tube structures to bear massive volumes, becoming models of worship and visual landmarks.
3. c. 960–990Kaifeng · ChinaAfter the founding of the Northern Song, Buddhist pagodas and temples were built in Kaifeng and elsewhere; brick pagodas like the Iron Pagoda were decorated with glazed surfaces, and pagodas were integrated into the capital's skyline and ritual spaces, becoming symbols of urban faith and power.
4. c. 970–1000Hangzhou · ChinaDuring the Wuyue kingdom period, brick and stone Buddhist pagodas including the predecessor of Hangzhou's Baochu Pagoda were built; the slender, elegant dense-eaves pagoda bodies blended with the Jiangnan landscape-city scenery, and by the late 10th century, pagoda forms and decoration tended toward regional standardization.