Iron Pagoda at Chongjue Temple in Ji'ning of Shandong Province
When the pagoda was first built in 1105 during the Song Dynasty, the octagonal iron structure had seven storeys, but two more storeys were added in 1581 in the Ming Dynasty when it was renovated. Its octagonal pedestal is built of brick. The pagoda is 23.8 meters high altogether, but the main body is only a dozen meters high. There is a door on the southern side of the pedestal and the chamber has a caisson ceiling. Inside the chamber are a stone statue of a one-thousand-arm Buddha and an inscription made in 1881 during the Qing Dynasty. The inner walls of the iron pagoda are lined with bricks and every storey has a pent roof, a balcony and balustrades. Brackets support both the pent roofs and balconies. Each storey has doors on four sides and niches for Buddhist statues on the others. Inscriptions on the walls of the first and second storeys date back to 1105 in the Song Dynasty. There used to be bells on the corners of every storey, but only those on the top storey remain. The steeple is in the shape of a gilded vase.
