Located
in Yingxian County to the south of Datong,
this is the oldest and tallest wooden pagoda
in China. Built in A.D. 1056, it is a sixty-seven-high-high
octagon with a diameter of thirty meters
at the base. From the outside it appears
to be a five-storied structure, but since
it has four additional inner stories, it
is actually a nine-storied structure. A
rational, well-proportioned structure, the
pagoda has withstood gunfire and earthquakes.
Items of interest in the pagoda include
statues and frescoes.
