Tianning Temple

The Tianning Temple, or temple of Heavenly Peace, in downtown Beijing, was built during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty more than 15-hundred years ago. A 60-meter-high pagoda was added to the temple in the Liao Dynasty about 500 years later. Historians say that Tianning, one of the capital's oldest temples, is crucial for research into the city's past. Located outside Guang'anmen in Beijing, it is one of ancient capital's earliest tall buildings, a valuable memento of the Liao Dynasty.

This thirteen story, octagonal-based Chinese pagoda stands over 57 meters high. It is made of brick and stone, yet imitates the design of wooden-constructed pagodas from the era by featuring ornamental bracket supports. It rests on a large square platform, with the bottom portion of the pagoda taking on the shape of a sumeru pedestal. The pagoda features a veranda with banisters, yet is entirely solid with no open space inside or staircase as some pagodas feature. Other ornamental designs include arched doorways and heavenly Buddhist guardians.