Best Pagoda

The Mireuksa Site West Pagoda is a stone Buddhist monument located at the Mireuksa temple site in Iksan, South Korea. Originally constructed in the early 7th century during the Baekje Kingdom, it is recognized as the largest and oldest surviving stone pagoda in the country. The structure exemplifies...

The Dabotap, or Many Treasures Pagoda, is an ornate stone Buddhist monument located at the Bulguksa temple complex in Gyeongju, South Korea. Built in 751 CE during the Unified Silla period, it is designated as National Treasure No. 20. The pagoda is distinguished by its complex geometric design, whi...

The Porcelain Tower of Nanjing was a Ming dynasty pagoda constructed between 1412 and 1431 CE under the orders of the Yongle Emperor. Located on the south bank of the Yangtze River, the octagonal tower was famously faced with white porcelain bricks that reflected sunlight. Reaching a height of appro...

The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple are a trio of ancient Buddhist monuments located at the foot of the Cangshan mountains in Dali, Yunnan, China. The ensemble dates to the 9th century during the Tang dynasty and the rule of the Nanzhao Kingdom. Its centerpiece is the 70-meter Qianxun Pagoda, a s...

The Qianxun Pagoda is a massive brick and earth structure located in Dali, Yunnan, China. Constructed around 840 CE during the Tang dynasty, it serves as the central and tallest component of the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple. The tower features a square base and rises sixteen stories to a heigh...

The Iron Pagoda of Youguo Temple is a 55-meter brick Buddhist monument located in Kaifeng, Henan, China. Built in 1049 CE during the Northern Song dynasty, the thirteen-story octagonal tower is entirely clad in glazed brown tiles that give it a metallic, iron-like appearance. Intricate brick carving...

The Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, officially the Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple, is a timber-framed Buddhist monument located in Shanxi, China. Built in 1056 CE during the Liao dynasty, it stands approximately 67 meters tall and features five exterior stories with four hidden interior mezzanines. The s...

The Zhenguo Pagoda, or East Pagoda, is a granite Buddhist tower situated at the Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou, Fujian province, China. Initially constructed in the Tang dynasty and later rebuilt in stone during the Song dynasty, it was completed around 1238 CE. The five-story octagonal structure is hea...

The White Pagoda of Miaoying Temple is a Tibetan-style Buddhist stupa located in the Xicheng District of Beijing, China. Commissioned by the Mongol ruler Kublai Khan, it was completed in 1271 CE and designed by the Nepalese architect Araniko. Standing approximately 50 meters tall, the structure feat...

The Dhammayangyi Pagoda is a massive Buddhist temple located in the ancient city of Bagan, Myanmar. Construction began around 1163 CE under King Narathu, who intended to atone for his violent rise to power. The brick structure is the widest temple in Bagan and is distinguished by its exceptionally f...

The Pagoda Forest of Shaolin Monastery is a large funerary complex located at the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, Henan province, China. It serves as the primary burial ground for prominent Buddhist monks and comprises the largest collection of ancient pagodas in the country. The site contains over 240...

The Five-Story Pagoda at Rurikoji temple is a wooden Buddhist monument located in Yamaguchi prefecture, Japan. Constructed in 1442 CE during the Muromachi period, it was commissioned by a local lord to honor his deceased brother. The elegant structure features flared eaves and stands as a prime exam...

The Seokgatap, or Shakyamuni Pagoda, is a three-story granite Buddhist monument located at the Bulguksa temple complex in Gyeongju, South Korea. Completed in 751 CE during the Unified Silla period, the structure is characterized by its simple, restrained geometric proportions and is designated as Na...

The three-story pagoda at Hokkiji temple is an ancient wooden Buddhist structure located in Nara prefecture, Japan. Built around 706 CE during the Asuka period, it is constructed on the site of the former Okamoto Palace. The structure stands approximately 24 meters tall and features a distinctive ro...

The Renshou Pagoda, also known as the West Pagoda, is a five-story granite structure at Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China. Completed around 1228 CE during the Song dynasty, it forms a pair with the slightly later East Pagoda (Zhenguo). Standing approximately 45 meters tall, the pago...

The five-story pagoda at Muroji temple in Nara Prefecture, Japan, stands approximately 16 meters tall, making it notably small compared to similar structures in the country. Built during the early Heian period around 800 CE, it is one of the oldest existing wooden pagodas in Japan. The structure fea...

The Feihong Pagoda at Guangsheng Temple in Hongtong County, Shanxi Province, China, is a Ming dynasty structure completed in 1527 CE. Standing approximately 47 meters tall with thirteen stories, the pagoda is distinguished by its exterior facade of glazed ceramic tiles in green, yellow, and brown co...

Wat Si Sanphet was the principal royal temple within the Grand Palace grounds of the ancient Thai capital of Ayutthaya. Constructed in the mid-15th century, the temple complex is dominated by three large bell-shaped chedis (stupas) standing in a row on a single platform. These chedis, restored in th...

The Anrakuji Octagonal Pagoda in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, is a rare three-story wooden Buddhist structure dating to the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE). Most Japanese pagodas are square in plan, making the octagonal form architecturally significant. The pagoda measures approximately 18 meters in hei...

The five-story stone pagoda at the Jeongnimsaji temple site in Buyeo, South Korea, dates to the Baekje kingdom period (18 BCE-660 CE), likely constructed during the 6th-7th century. Standing approximately 8.3 meters tall, it exemplifies the refined stonework techniques characteristic of Baekje artis...

Palsangjeon is a five-story wooden pagoda located at Beopjusa temple in Songnisan National Park, North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. The current structure was rebuilt in 1626 after destruction during the Imjin War (Japanese invasions of Korea, 1592-1598), making it the sole surviving traditiona...

The Maha Muni Pagoda (also called Maha Muni Temple) in Mandalay, Myanmar, houses the Mahamuni Buddha image, considered one of the most sacred Buddhist icons in the country. According to tradition, the bronze statue was cast during the lifetime of Buddha and later transported from the Rakhine region...

Chedi Luang, or the Grand Stupa, is a large Buddhist monument in Chiang Mai, Thailand, constructed during the 14th century under King Saen Muang Ma. Originally rising to approximately 82 meters, it was once the tallest structure in the Lanna Kingdom and housed the Emerald Buddha (now in Bangkok's Wa...

The Tianning Temple Pagoda in Beijing is a 13-tiered octagonal brick structure dating to the Liao dynasty (907-1125 CE). Standing approximately 57 meters tall, the pagoda was built in the early 12th century and represents one of the oldest surviving structures in China's capital city. The pagoda fea...

The three-story pagodas at Taima-dera temple in Katsuragi, Nara Prefecture, Japan, are among the oldest surviving wooden pagodas in the country. The East Pagoda dates to around 712 CE during the late Asuka period, while the West Pagoda was constructed slightly later, approximately 745 CE during the...

Shwesandaw Pagoda is a Buddhist temple in Bagan, Myanmar, built by King Anawrahta in 1057 CE following his conquest of the Mon kingdom of Thaton. The structure stands approximately 100 meters tall on a broad base of five square terraces that taper upward to a bell-shaped stupa topped with a golden h...

The Putuo Zongcheng Temple is a Qing dynasty Buddhist complex in Chengde, Hebei, China, constructed between 1767 and 1771 under the direction of Emperor Qianlong. Often referred to as the Little Potala Palace, the architectural design was modeled directly on the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. It was...

The Gyeongcheonsa Pagoda is a ten-story marble structure built in 1348 during the Goryeo Dynasty, originally located at the Gyeongcheonsa temple site in present-day North Korea. The pagoda is renowned for its detailed relief carvings, which depict various Buddhist narratives, floral patterns, and ce...

The Ichijoji Three-Story Pagoda is a historic wooden structure located at the Ichijoji temple in Kasai, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Constructed in 1171 during the late Heian period, it is recognized as a National Treasure and represents classic Japanese Buddhist architecture. The pagoda features a trad...