Yingxian Muta, or Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, built in 1056 during the Liao (CE 916-1125) Dynasty, is located in Yingxian County, and about 70 kilometers south of Datong, the Wooden Pagoda is the oldest and highest wooden structure in China. It is regarded as the 'First Pagoda in the World' and a gem in the architectural field. It has now also been placed under national emphases under the Cultural Relics Protection Units.. Yingxian Muta is the oldest all-wood pagoda in China, and the highest all-wood pagoda in the world, standing at 67.31 meters and with a base diameter of 30.27 meters. By comparison, Yingxian Muta is some 30 meters higher than the famous White Pagoda in Beijing's Beihai Park, and almost 3 meters higher than the Big Goose Pagoda in Xi an (formerly Chang'an, the imperial city where China's first emperor, Emperor Shi Huang of the Qin (BCE 221-207) Dynasty, had a Terracotta Army constructed to guard his mausoleum).
What's more, the large Buddha statues hosted in the Wooden Pagoda show different countenances and postures, and display a very high level of craftsmanship. The statue of Sakyamuni of the 1st floor stands at the height of 11 meters is particularly impressive. If look itup inside the pagoda, you will feel its grandeur.
Its all-wood (of course) interior staircase reveals nine floors, although the pagoda's exterior leads the viewer to expect only five floors. In the center of the ground floor is an 11-meter high statue of sitting Sakyamuni, plump and amiable, yet exuding dignity and surrounded by six brightly colored pictures of Buddha. On the second floor is a statue of Buddha and four Bodhisattvas, while on the third floor is a statue of Buddha with four faces, each face with a piercing gaze. The four-faceted Buddha symbolizes the infinite knowledge and wisdom of Buddha, whose gaze can pierce any object, or "see through" appearances to the core, as it were. On the fourth floor is a statue of Buddha, two statues of Bodhisattva and two statues of lesser aspirants. On the fifth floor is another statue of a plump, sociable sitting Sakyamuni surrounded by four differently shaped, but exquisitely formed, Buddha statues.
The Wooden Pagoda is a perfect combination of science, art and religion. It is also the wonder of the wooden architecture field. It should be a necessary stop in your Shanxi tour.
Opening Time:
8:00-18:00
How to get there:
From Datong Railway Station, you can take a one-day touring minibus to the pagoda. The minibus departs at 7:30 AM. The fare depends on the demand on any given day, so the potential for price haggling exists, while the normal fare is 40 yuan per person, round trip.
Tips:
Both Yingxian Muta and the Hanging Monastery of Hunyuan County can be visited in a single day if you take a rented car, or if you can arrange for group travel in a minibus. Here is the recommended route: Leaving Datong behind you, visit first the Hanging Monastery in Hunyuan County, then proceed on to Yingxian Muta before returning to Datong. By regular tour bus, each of these sites would normally require an entire day to view.