Built between 1111 and 1120, the North Pagoda was originally called the Relic Pagoda or the Arhat Pagoda. Since it was painted red all over, it is also known as the Red Pagoda. It is a special structure, a combination of the multistoreyed, inverted-bowl and vajrasana styles. Four small pagodas, built during the Tang Dynasty, stand at the corners of the base. The lower part of the pagoda is an octagonal pedestal on which stands a two-storeyed brick structure. On top of this is an inverted-bowl steeple with thirteen ornamental discs, looking exactly like an early Lamaist dagoba. This particular pagoda, combining the multistoreyed and inverted-bowl styles, is one of only a few in China, including the White Pagoda at Guanyin Temple in Tianjin's Jixian County.
