Great White Pagoda

Sarira Stupa of Tayuan Temple

The Great White Pagoda (Chinese: 大白塔; pinyin: Dàbáitǎ), or Sarira Stupa of Tayuan Temple, is a brick stupa located at Mount Wutai of Wutai County, Shanxi province, China.

History

The stupa was constructed during the Wanli reign of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644 AD), as recorded on a stone tablet there composed by the high minister Zhang Juzheng (1525–1582).[1]

Architectural features

The Sarira Stupa, named after the Sanskrit word sarira meaning 'Buddhist relic', sits on a square base with an archetypal sumeru pedestal. It is roughly 50 m (164 ft) tall, constructed of brick with a lime coating on the outside that gives its white color. The main upper frame of the stupa is shaped as an inverted bowl. The canopy of the stupa sits atop a steeple with thirteen tiers. The canopy and bead crowning the top are all made of gilded copper. The canopy also supports 252 small bells.

Notes

  1. ↑ China.org.cn. Sarira Dagoba at Tayuan Temple in Wutai of Shanxi Province. Retrieved on 2008-06-21.

Coordinates: 39°00′29″N 113°35′22″E / 39.0080°N 113.5894°E / 39.0080; 113.5894

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