Pota Pagoda [Kaifeng]

Located at the southeastern corner of Kaifeng City, the Pagoda was built in 974 AD in Northern Song Dynasty, being the unit under the State protection. It was former a hollow brick tower, nine-storey, hexagonal type building of Song style with a height of 80 meters. In the year of Yongle of Ming Dynasty, the top three levels was removed, six storeys sharp tops were added later on the remained base, thus formed the present existing Pagoda shape of thick in lower parts and sharp on the upper section with a total height of 36.68 meters. It has been constructed with glazed square bricks, one square feet for one brick, one figure engraved on each brick, including all kinds of Buddha with different ranks, Sakyamuni, Goddess of Mercy, eighteen Buddha, etc. On the walls and walking way from base to the top inside the Tower, there are full of inscriptions of Song Dynasty, the most attractive inscription was the excellent hand-writing by Mr. Zhao An'ren, a famous calligrapher of Song Dynasty. The Pagoda is the treasure material to study the Chinese architecture, music, and fine arts.