Our answer
From relic mound to tower 塔
Built to hold Buddhist relics and scriptures; usually an odd number of storeys, in wood, brick or stone
The short answer
A pagoda (塔, tǎ) is a Buddhist tower of stacked storeys, each with its own roof. It grew out of the Indian stupa, a monument over relics of the Buddha. China’s most famous is Xi’an’s Big Wild Goose Pagoda, built in 652 for scriptures the monk Xuanzang brought from India and now 64.5 metres tall.
| In Chinese | 塔 (tǎ); Big Wild Goose Pagoda is 大雁塔 (Dàyàn Tǎ) |
|---|---|
| Origin | The Indian stupa, a domed monument over relics |
| Purpose | To enshrine Buddhist relics, and sometimes scriptures |
| Materials | Wood first; most survivors are brick or stone |
| Storeys | Usually three to 13, normally an odd number |
| Oldest brick pagoda | Songyue Pagoda, Dengfeng, Henan, built 523 |
| On the UNESCO list | Big and Small Wild Goose Pagodas, Xi’an, as part of the Silk Roads site (2014) |
What a pagoda is
A pagoda is a tower-like Buddhist building of several storeys, solid or hollow, made of stone, brick or wood. Its ancestor is the stupa of ancient India, a domed monument built to hold relics, and Chinese pagodas kept that purpose: relics and precious objects were placed in a chamber below, which the base of the pagoda covered.
In China the dome became a tower. Each storey is a little smaller than the one below and has its own projecting roof. Most pagodas have between three and 13 tiers, usually an odd number. The earliest had square or round plans; octagonal ones appeared from the 5th century and became common in the Song, Liao and Jin dynasties.
The Chinese word is 塔 (tǎ). The English ‘pagoda’ came from 16th-century Portuguese. Not every pagoda is purely religious: some were also said to bring luck to students sitting the imperial exams, and Hangzhou’s Six Harmonies Pagoda was built partly as a guide for boats on the river.[1][2][7]
Wood, brick and stone
- Wood. The oldest and tallest early pagodas were wooden, but few survived. The great exception is the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda in Shanxi, built in 1056 entirely without nails or iron bars, its parts held together by interlocking joints.
- Brick and stone. From the Northern Wei and Sui dynasties (386–618) builders experimented with brick and stone, and most pagodas that survive are made of them. The Songyue Pagoda in Dengfeng, Henan, built in 523, is the earliest brick pagoda still standing: 40 metres tall, with walls 2.5 metres thick.
Famous pagodas in China
Heights are for the structures standing today.[3][4][5][6][7][8][2]
| Pagoda | Where | Built | Height | Why it is famous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Wild Goose Pagoda (大雁塔, Dàyàn Tǎ) | Da Ci’en Temple, Xi’an, Shaanxi | 652, Tang dynasty; altered several times since | 64.5 m, 7 storeys | Built to store the scriptures Xuanzang brought back from India; the earliest and largest surviving Tang pagoda; UNESCO World Heritage (2014) |
| Small Wild Goose Pagoda (小雁塔, Xiǎoyàn Tǎ) | Former Jianfu Temple, Xi’an, Shaanxi | 707–709, Tang dynasty | About 43 m, 13 storeys | Lost its top two storeys in the 1556 Shaanxi earthquake; UNESCO World Heritage (2014) |
| Yingxian Wooden Pagoda (应县木塔), the Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple | Ying County, Shanxi | 1056, Liao dynasty | 67.31 m, 5 storeys outside, 9 inside | The oldest and tallest fully wooden pagoda in China and the world, built without nails |
| Six Harmonies Pagoda (六和塔, Liùhé Tǎ) | On the Qiantang River, Hangzhou, Zhejiang | First built 970; rebuilt by 1165 | 59.89 m; looks 13 storeys, 7 inside | Built, by tradition, to calm the river’s tidal bore and to guide boats |
| Leifeng Pagoda (雷峰塔, Léifēng Tǎ) | West Lake, Hangzhou, Zhejiang | 975; collapsed 1924; rebuilt and opened 2002 | 71.68 m (rebuilt) | A setting of the Legend of the White Snake; relics found in its foundations, including a gilt silver pagoda, are in the Zhejiang Provincial Museum |
| Songyue Pagoda (嵩岳寺塔) | Mount Song, Dengfeng, Henan | 523, Northern Wei dynasty | 40 m | The earliest brick pagoda still standing |
The Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Xi’an’s Big Wild Goose Pagoda is China’s best-known pagoda. The monk Xuanzang, back from his long journey to India, had it built in 652 to keep the Sanskrit scriptures and Buddhist images he brought home. It began with five floors, was raised to nine, and after later changes now has seven; the square brick tower is 64.5 metres tall, with a ground floor 25.5 metres along each side.
It stands in Da Ci’en Temple, a temple built in 648. Since 2014 the pagoda has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage site ‘Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor’, nominated jointly by China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. On the square to the north, a musical fountain puts on a free show in the evenings, though not every day and not in winter outside the Chinese New Year holiday.[3][4][9]
Questions readers ask
What is a pagoda?
A tower-like Buddhist building of several storeys, each with its own roof, made of wood, brick or stone. It developed from the Indian stupa, a monument built over relics of the Buddha, and in China it usually stands within or beside a temple.
What is a pagoda used for?
Mainly to enshrine Buddhist relics, placed in a chamber beneath the base, and sometimes scriptures: the Big Wild Goose Pagoda was built to hold texts Xuanzang brought from India. Some pagodas also had practical or folk uses, as river landmarks or as good-luck towers for exam candidates.
Why do pagodas have an odd number of storeys?
Most Chinese pagodas have between three and 13 tiers, and the number is usually odd. Our sources record the custom but do not give a single agreed reason for it.
How tall is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda?
64.5 metres (64.517 m, according to the Shaanxi provincial government), with seven storeys. It was first built in 652 and has been altered several times since.
Who built the Big Wild Goose Pagoda?
It was built in 652 at the request of the monk Xuanzang, to store the Buddhist scriptures and images he had brought back from India. It stands in Da Ci’en Temple in Xi’an.
What is the oldest wooden pagoda in China?
The Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple in Ying County, Shanxi, known as the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda. Built in 1056, it is 67.31 metres tall and is the oldest and tallest fully wooden pagoda in China and the world.
What is the difference between a pagoda and a stupa?
The stupa is the original Indian form, a domed mound over relics. The pagoda is the East Asian development of it: a tower of stacked storeys with projecting roofs, still built to hold relics.
Is Leifeng Pagoda original?
No. The first Leifeng Pagoda was built in 975 and collapsed in 1924. The present 71.68-metre pagoda was completed in 2002; relics found in the old foundations are in the Zhejiang Provincial Museum.
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, Pagoda · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Chinese pagoda · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Shaanxi Provincial Government (English), Giant Wild Goose Pagoda · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Giant Wild Goose Pagoda · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Pagoda of Fogong Temple · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Small Wild Goose Pagoda · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Liuhe Pagoda · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Leifeng Pagoda · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Mahavira Hall · accessed 1 Nov 2026
Update log. 1 November 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 1 February 2027. Suggest a correction