Tianning Temple Pagoda

Located outside Guang'anmen in Beijing, this pagoda is one of the earliest tall buildings of the ancient capital and a valuable memento of the Liao Dynasty.

Construction of the pagoda is estimated to have been between 1100 and 1120 towards the end of the Liao Dynasty. The octagonal pagoda, 57.8 meters tall, sits upon a square platform. The bottom of the pagoda is in the form of a huge Sumeru pedestal, decorated with carved arch patterns. It is a typical pagoda of the Liao and Kin period. Solid, without stairs inside or outside, the structure and shape of the pagoda have remained the same since it was built, though repairs have been made over the years. The later celebrated Chinese architect Liang Sicheng praised the design of the pagoda as having musical rhythm and as being a masterpiece of ancient architectural design.