County · Shanxi

Yingxian 应县

Yingxian (应县), in northern Shanxi (山西), is associated with the Wooden Pagoda (应县木塔), formally the Shakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple (佛宫寺释迦塔). Built in 1056 during the Liao dynasty, it stands within Fogong Temple (佛宫寺).

Location of Shanxi, the surrounding province-level areaView province guide

Get to know Yingxian

In 2019, Shuozhou, Shanxi, China, Ying County Wooden Pagoda (Shijia Pagoda) at dust. This pagoda is believed to have been built during the Liao Dynasty. It is the oldest and tallest surviving wooden pagoda in China. Shown locality: Pagoda of Fogong Temple (应县木塔), Yingxian (应县).
In 2019, Shuozhou, Shanxi, China, Ying County Wooden Pagoda (Shijia Pagoda) at dust. This pagoda is believed to have been built during the Liao Dynasty. It is the oldest and tallest surviving wooden pagoda in China. Shown locality: Pagoda of Fogong Temple (应县木塔), Yingxian (应县). · Charlie fong · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo adjustments

Resized and WebP compressed; subject not altered.

Administrative area
County · 县
Part of
Shuozhou
Chinese name
应县
Local areas
County guide

Area & population

Area in the source
1,688.00 km²
Population · 2020
243,970

Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.

Reading the wooden structure

The pagoda rises 67.31 metres on an octagonal plan. From outside it appears to have five storeys and six sets of eaves, but four hidden levels bring the internal total to nine. Deeply projecting double eaves mark the lowest storey. More than fifty varieties of bracket sets articulate the structure, and each visible storey has a Buddha image at its centre.

Images, texts and architectural study

The pagoda’s associated works include Buddhist images, painted murals, plaques, paired inscriptions and stone inscriptions. Discoveries inside during the later twentieth century included Buddhist scriptures and the Herb-gathering Picture (采药图), both among its Liao-period relics. Architectural researchers Liang Sicheng (梁思成) and Mo Zongjiang (莫宗江) first surveyed and measured the tower in 1933.

Sources for this guide

山西团代表建议：启动1∶1研究性复建应县木塔 · Science and Technology Daily

别让“病歪歪”的应县木塔在议而不决中倒掉-新华网 · Xinhua Daily Telegraph

Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-26.

Explore Yingxian

Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.

Places to explore around Yingxian

Pagoda of Fogong Temple · 应县木塔In 2019, Shuozhou, Shanxi, China, Ying County Wooden Pagoda (Shijia Pagoda) at dust. This pagoda is believed to have been built during the Liao Dynasty. It is the oldest and tallest surviving wooden pagoda in China.

Pagoda of Fogong Temple应县木塔

The wooden pagoda at Fogong Temple rises from a stone platform in Yingxian, its layered eaves supported by a dense system of timber brackets. Built in the Liao period, it is best understood by looking carefully at how the…

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Shuocheng District朔城区 →Pinglu District平鲁区 →Shanyin County山阴县 →Youyu County右玉县 →Huairen怀仁市 →
Sources & geographic information

Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.

Photo: Pagoda of Fogong Temple · Charlie fong · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and WebP compressed; subject not altered.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.