The pagoda is situated in Yongledian south of Jingyang County in Xianyang. It used to be in a temple called Tiefo (Iron Buddha). An inscription on a tablet erected beside the pagoda says that construction of the pagoda started in 1591 and one storey was built each year. Thus, the entire pagoda was completed in 1605.
The octagonal brick pagoda, 79.19 meters high, has thirteen storeys, supported by a plain stone pedestal of 1.8 meters high. The main body is built of greenish bricks. Above a door on the southern side of the first storey is a name plate inscribed with the Chinese characters for Chongwen Pagoda. The other storeys all have arched doors on four sides and niches for Buddhist statues on the other sides, alternating sides to avoid the risk of cracks. The vivid, exquisite stone standing or seated statues of Buddha in the niches all have different postures. Inside the second storey is a metal standing Buddha. The eaves of the pagoda are built of brick and carved with various ornamental designs. On the corners of the pagoda's exterior are round brick pillars. The whole pagoda rises sturdily into the sky, in height second only to the 84-metre-high Liaodi Pagoda in Dingzhou. Thus it is the second highest pagoda in China.
Inside the pagoda a flight of brick steps winds along the walls to the top. The most significant part of the pagoda is its roof, whose design is different from that of other pagoda roofs. It is a spacious veranda with high, thick balustrades. People can lean on the balustrades while enjoying the view without feeling unsafe, although they are high up.
