Five Pagoda Temple - WuTaSi

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The Five-Pagoda Temple is located about 200 meters to the northwest of Beijing Zoo. It was initially called the Temple of True Awakening, ZhenJueSi in Chinese, then as the name of the Temple of Great Righteous AwakeningDaZhengJueSi. Later the name of today, Five-Pagoda Temple was adopted.

History
Around the year of 1413 during Emperor Yongle of Ming Dynasty, the Indian shaman DaDi came to Beijing to submit the Golden Buddha and the picture of an Indian styled Tower to the emperor. Emperor Yongle at once ordered to build a temple according to the picture in 1473. the entire temple complex, including wooden buildings, was repaired and renovated in 1761, but in the late Qing Dynasty looted and burned to the ground, first by the Anglo-French Allied Armies in 1860, and again by the Eight-Allied Force in 1900. Today, the only extent relic is the monumental diamond throne pagoda.

Structure
The structure of the five pagodas is known in Buddhist way as the "diamond throne pagoda" style, wherein five small pagodas stand on a large square foundation known as the "throne." The architectural style of the temple is no mere imitation of its Indian prototype, but displays bold innovations: the height of the throne foundation was raised, the height of the pagodas was reduced, and typical Chinese glazed tiles were added.
The square throne foundation is 17 meters high. The five pagodas rise from their rectangular bases on top of this foundation, one in each of the four corners and the fifth in the center. The central pagoda is slightly higher than the others, with 13 eaves, two more than those in the corners. The entire structure is made of white marble. Today, after more than 500 years of oxidation, the flecks of iron in the stone have given the entire structure a pale orange cast.
The four walls of the foundation are carved with rows of Buddhas (the One Thousand Sagacious Buddhas) as well as bas-reliefs of Buddhist symbols, floral designs and Sanskrit letters. The five pagodas are also covered with similar carvings on a small scale. A door at the foot of the foundation on the southern side opens into an inner spiral stairway that leads to the top pf the foundation.

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