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The wooden vertical palace of Buddha

Published: 17 Mar. 2025, 00:05 Updated: 17 Mar. 2025, 14:00

Kim Bong-ryeol

The author is an architect and professor emeritus at Korea National University of Arts.

In early Indian Buddhism, the stupa, a hemispheric, vertical structure resembling an inverted bowl, was the foremost symbol of Buddhist devotion, enshrining sacred relics of the Buddha. However, as Buddhism spread to the Han Dynasty (202 B.C. to 220 A.D.), existing multistory wooden pavilions, traditionally used as observation towers, were repurposed as Buddhist pagodas. This transformation led to the construction of monumental wooden towers, such as the 155-meter (509-foot) pagoda at Yongning Temple in Luoyang in the fifth century and the 80-meter, nine-story pagoda at Hwangnyong Temple in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, during the Silla Dynasty (57 B.C. to 935 A.D.). By modern standards, these were skyscrapers exceeding 100 stories, serving as towering landmarks of their era.

Sakyamuni pagoda of Fogong Temple, standing at 67 meters in Shanxi province, China. [KIM BONG-RYEOL]

The tallest surviving wooden pagoda today is the Sakyamuni pagoda of Fogong Temple, standing at 67 meters in Shanxi Province. It was commissioned in 1056 by Emperor Daozong (1032-1101) of the Liao Dynasty (916-1125) on the site of his grandmother’s residence. As China’s oldest extant wooden pagoda, it represents the pinnacle of traditional timber joinery, constructed with 15,400 interlocking wooden components assembled without nails. With its harmonious proportions, elegant contours, and imposing scale, it is also considered one of the most beautiful examples of wooden architecture.

Although commonly referred to as a five-story pagoda, it actually consists of nine internal levels due to its hidden structural layers. The first level features a double-tiered roof, creating the illusion of a five-story structure, but within the pagoda, four concealed intermediate layers are embedded within the terraces.

Its octagonal floor plan consists of a smaller central core (inner pagoda) surrounded by a larger octagonal outer structure, reinforced by wooden trusses between the concealed layers. Unlike conventional high-rise buildings, which collapse under seismic stress due to lateral shaking, the Sakyamuni pagoda of Fogong Temple was designed with stacked independent structural layers, interlocked with trussed buffer zones to absorb lateral forces. This innovative earthquake-resistant design has allowed it to withstand multiple earthquakes during the past millennium — a testament to its ingenious engineering.

Each level of the pagoda serves as a self-contained shrine, enshrining different representations of the Buddha and bodhisattvas. The first floor houses a Sakyamuni Buddha statue, while the upper levels contain separate sanctuaries dedicated to various Buddhist figures. If these vertically arranged shrines were unfolded horizontally, they would form a vast temple complex, encompassing the Hall of Great Light (Dae Gwangmyeongjeon), the Main Buddha Hall (Daeungjeon), the Four-Direction Buddha Hall (Sabangbuljeon), the Manjushri and Samantabhadra Hall (Munsu Bohyeonjeon), and the Hall of Ultimate Enlightenment (Daejeokgwangjeon).

Thus, the pagoda itself functions as a temple, making it a “vertical monastery” — or, as its name suggests, “The Palace of Buddha.” The open-air terraces on each level also offer panoramic views, enhancing the pagoda’s multifunctional design.

With its architectural ingenuity, structural innovation, artistic excellence, and spiritual symbolism, the Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple remains a masterpiece of wooden architecture — a testament to the extraordinary craftsmanship of its builders.

Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.