The pagoda is located in Chengtian Temple in the southwestern tip of Yinchuan City. Since it stands in the western part of the city, it is also called the West Pagoda.
The pagoda was first built in 1050 during the Song Dynasty. The pagoda underwent repeated repairs in the Ming and Qing dynasties. In 1738, in the Qing Dynasty, when a strong earthquake hit Ningxia, the pagoda was seriously damaged and began deteriorating. In 1820 the pagoda was rebuilt according to its original structure. The existing pagoda dates hack to that time.
The octagonal, brick, eleven-storey pagoda is 64.5 meters high. The first three storeys have niches but no windows. From the fourth storey up, there are four small windows on each storey; the top storey has big, round ones. The interior of the pagoda is square and a staircase leads to the top, so people can admire the view from the round windows.
The pagoda's steeple, like that of Haibao Pagoda, is peach-shaped and built of green glazed bricks. |
