Zhengding () is a county in Hebei Province approximately 260 kilometers south of Beijing, China. It is under the administration of nearby Shijiazhuang City and has a population of 5.4 million. Zhengding has been an important religious center for more than 1,000 years, from - at least - the times of the Sui Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. It is the founding place of a major school of Zen Buddhism. However, most of the former religious building complexes have been severely damaged since, often leaving only isolated remains. A noteworthy exception is the Longxing Monastery, where the historical building ensemble has been preserved almost intact. Furthermore, four famous pagodas, each with its own architectural style, are still standing.

Pagodas

Chengling Pagoda

The Chengling Pagoda (Chengling Ta) is built from gray bricks, it is also known as the Grey Pagoda. It is located in the Village of Linji to the south of Zhengding and was formerly part of the Linji Temple. The Linji Temple was built during the times of the Eastern Wei Dynasty in the year 540. During the Tang Dynasty, it became the site where the monk Linji Yixuan founded the Linji School, one of the five schools of Chinese Chan Buddhism. Both, Linji Yixuan and the Linji School, derive their names from the village. The pagoda was first built in 867 to serve as a shrine for the mantle and alms bowl of Linji Yixuan. The original pagoda was ruined and replaced during the years 1161 to 1189 (Song Dynasty) by the present-day structure. The present pagoda stands on a substructure known as a Sumeru Pedestal after the mythic Mount Sumeru and has an octagonal cross-section. It has nine multi-eared storeys and a total hight of 33 meters. Its pedestal is richly decorated. Because it is seen as one of the birthplaces of Zen Buddhism, the Chengling Pagoda is favorite site for pilgrims and tourists from Japan.

Lingxiao Pagoda

The Lingxiao Pagoda (Lingxiao Ta), also known as the Wooden Pagoda, is a wood-and-brick construction, which was formerly part of Tianning Monastery, located to the west of Longxing Monastery. It was recorded to have been first built in 860 during the Tang Dynasty, it has undergone many repairs and rebuildings since then. The architectural style of the present-day pagoda was created during the Song Dynasty in 1045 and was left unchanged during later repairs. The pagoda has an octagonal floor plan, nine storeys, and a total hight of 41 meters. The four lowest storeys are made from bricks decorated with wooden eaves. From the fifth storey upwards, the pagoda construction is entirely made of wood, constructed around a central pillar. While storey height continuously decreases from the bottom to the top of the pagoda, this decrease is particularly steep in the five upper wooden storeys. The pagoda carries a cast-iron steeple.

Xumi Pagoda

The Xumi Pagoda (Xumi Ta), named for the mythical Mount Sumeru, also known as Summer Pagoda is part of Kaiyuan Monastery which is located to the west of Zhengding. It was erected from stone and bricks and is at 48 meters the tallest pagoda in Zhengding. The pagoda has an austere geometric design with a square floor plan set on a stone platform which is likewise square-shaped. Stones have also been used in the lower part of the first storey. The Xumi Pagoda was first built during the Tang Dynasty, 636. Apart from a wooden ceiling over the first storey, the inside of the pagoda is hollow, there is no staircase. Among the rather plain decorations on the outside are thirteen tiers of eaves as well as stone carvings of the Heavenly Kings at the corners of the stone platform. The pagoda is one of originally four fiducial buildings on the grounds of the Kaiyuan Monastery: Tianwang Hall in the front and Fachuan Hall (now in ruins) in the back, a bell tower (built in 540 during the Eastern Wei Dynasty, renovated in 898 during the Tang Dynasty) in the east and the pagoda in the west. Today, the Monastery is largely destroyed and the Xumi pagoda stands surrounded by trees.

Hua Pagoda

The Hua Pagoda (Hua Ta, lit.: Flower Pagoda, part of Guanghui Monastery, in the south of Zhengding) is a four-storey brick building with an unconventional shape and a total hight of approximately 40 meters. While the lower three storeys have an octagonal floor plan, the fourth storey has a circular layout over which the walls taper towards the tip giving the storey a conical shape. On the outside, this storey is richly decorated with carvings of Buddhas, elephants, and aquatic animals. The Hua Pagoda was first erected during the Tang Dynasty. The present-day structure dates back to a rebuilt during the time of the Jin Dynasty. It was originally framed by four smaller pagodas which have been lost.

Transportation

Zhengding has convenient railway and road connections, with the Beijing-Canton Railway and Beijing-Shenzhen Expressway running through the county.

External Links

• Xumi Pagoda on china.org.cn
• Lingxiao Pagoda on china.org.cn
• Chengling Pagoda on china.org.cn
• Hua Pagoda on cntravel.biz