The tower is an extremely important part of traditional Chinese architecture, carrying a rich history, culture and architectural skills. The glorious period of ancient Chinese pagoda architecture began in the Tang Dynasty, when Buddhism flourished, and after thousands of years of baptism, these ancient pagodas still maintain their beautiful appearance and mysterious connotation, becoming a valuable heritage of traditional Chinese culture.
The origin of the tower
The shape of the tower originated in India. From 273 BC to 236 BC, in order to worship Buddhism, Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan Dynasty in India ordered the establishment of Buddhist buildings and memorial stone pillars in various places, and initially created Buddhist architectural forms such as pagodas, zhiti, and biharas.
Before Buddhism was introduced to China, there was no concept of pagodas in China. It was not until the reign of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty that Buddhism was introduced to Luoyang, and the White Horse Temple was established outside the west gate of Luoyang. According to the "Book of Wei, Shi Lao Zhi", it is recorded: "The emperor sent Langzhong Cai Su, Dr. ** Qin Jing and others to Tianzhu to write the model of Futu. Su Nai and Shamen took Morteng, Zhu Frandong returned to Luoyang. China's method of sand and bowing has been since then. I also got the Buddhist scripture "Twenty-four Chapters" and the statue of Shakya. Emperor Ming ordered the painting of the Buddha statue, placed on the Qingliangtai and the Xianjie Mausoleum, and was sealed in the Lantai stone room. The ring of the sorrow is also, with the white horse negative passage to come, Han Yin set up the White Horse Temple in Los Angeles Yongguanxi. This is the record of the stupa in our country in the classics. According to the relevant documents, after the death of the Ming Emperor, he was buried in the Xianjie Mausoleum in the south of the mountain, and an Indian-style pagoda was built in it, which is the earliest record of the tower building in China.
The composition of the tower
The pagoda in China is mainly composed of three parts: the first is the underground palace, which is used to bury the relics of the Buddha. The underground palace adopts the style of Chinese mausoleums and tombs, and there is usually a stone letter inside, and there are layers of boxes inside, and the innermost layer is where the Buddha's relics are placed. The second is the body of the tower, which is used for the purpose of worshiping Buddha statues and for people to climb and watch, and is the main part of the tower. The third is Tasha, which refers to the top of the tower in China. The craftsmen raised the sculpture and placed it on the top of the tower, which became the Tasha.
Historical development
From the Eastern Han Dynasty to the early years of the Tang Dynasty, the combination of Indian and traditional Chinese architectural forms was the first stage of the development of ancient pagodas. When Buddhism first entered China, people were very unfamiliar with the salvation objects of Indian Buddhism, such as Buddha statues, relics, and Buddhas. In order to survive in China, Buddhism had to take a conciliatory stance and strive to expand its influence by conforming to familiar ways of thinking and behaving. As a result, the semi-circular waves from India had to change their appearance while catering to traditional Chinese architectural styles. Although the actual architecture of the time no longer exists, according to the literature, the earliest pagodas in China were mainly built in the form of pavilions.
The Tang and Song dynasties were the peak period of the development of ancient towers in China, the number of towers increased significantly, and the materials were more abundant. Loft style, dense eaves, and pavilion towers are all very popular, and hexagonal and octagonal plane designs have become the mainstream. Tang Tower pursues concise and clear lines and stable and dignified outlines, highlighting the bold bearing of Tang people; The Song Pagoda emphasizes the delicate beauty of the carving and the soft and beautiful decoration. The Liao and Jin dynasties wrote a new chapter on the basis of the Tang and Song dynasties, and the tower builders tried their best to express their inner appeal, showing the glory of the ancient tower era in China.
From the Yuan Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, the third stage of the development of ancient pagodas in China. Due to the promotion and importance of Tibetan Buddhism, the introduction of Lamaism has led to the influx of ancient pagodas and lama pagodas in India. These towers are characterized by a semi-circular bowl on top of which the tower is placed to maintain a solemn and plump shape. After the Ming Dynasty, there was also a form called the Vajra Throne Tower, which belonged to the Tantric Pagoda, with the theme of enshrined the Buddha of the five directions of the Vajra realm, and symbolized the five shapes of Mount Meru. During the Qing Dynasty, due to the decline of Buddhism, almost no new pagodas were built, and the number of pagodas after the Yuan Dynasty was greatly reduced, and many pagodas were shoddy and had little aesthetic value.
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The role of the tower.
Religious worship
The Tang and Song dynasties were the peak period of the development of ancient towers in China, the number of towers increased significantly, and the materials were more abundant. Loft style, dense eaves, and pavilion towers are all very popular, and hexagonal and octagonal plane designs have become the mainstream. Tang Tower pursues concise and clear lines and stable and dignified outlines, highlighting the bold bearing of Tang people; The Song Pagoda emphasizes the delicate beauty of the carving and the soft and beautiful decoration. The Liao and Jin dynasties wrote a new chapter on the basis of the Tang and Song dynasties, and the tower builders tried their best to express their inner appeal, showing the glory of the ancient tower era in China.
From the Yuan Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, the third stage of the development of ancient pagodas in China. Due to the promotion and importance of Tibetan Buddhism, the introduction of Lamaism has led to the influx of ancient pagodas and lama pagodas in India. These towers are characterized by a semi-circular bowl on top of which the tower is placed to maintain a solemn and plump shape. After the Ming Dynasty, there was also a form called the Vajra Throne Tower, which belonged to the Tantric Pagoda, with the theme of enshrined the Buddha of the five directions of the Vajra realm, and symbolized the five shapes of Mount Meru. During the Qing Dynasty, due to the decline of Buddhism, almost no new pagodas were built, and the number of pagodas after the Yuan Dynasty was greatly reduced, and many pagodas were shoddy and had little aesthetic value.
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Military lookout
The ancient tower has the characteristics of being condescending and looking far away, so it has unique advantages in observing the enemy situation in the distance and conducting defensive shooting. When people climb to the top of the tower and look around, the surrounding terrain and situation can be seen at a glance, and the role of the pagoda in military affairs is obvious. There are many ancient towers in our country that have made great achievements in history and have become an important fortress for defeating the enemy.
Navigate extradition
Light 800 lanterns to guide the night race of thousands of sails", in some mountains and water rocks, bay ports, long bridges and ancient ferries and other places, there are often pagodas towering to show the beauty of the earth. Because the ancient pagoda stands tall and erect, it can be seen from afar. Therefore, many ancient pagodas are not only the best places for people to climb high and overlook the distance, but also an important symbol to indicate the way of Jinliang, and become the lighthouse of navigation and extradition, which is well-known at home and abroad.
Landscaping
Many ancient towers became symbols of a city, a region. For example, Yan'an Pagoda is the symbol of Yan'an, the holy land of revolution, and Suzhou Tiger Hill Pagoda is the business card of Jiangnan and so on. The ancient pagoda has become an important part of many scenic spots.
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