Twin pagodas of Baisikou

Twin pagodas of Baisikou
Native name 拜寺口双塔 (Chinese)
Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Ningxia
Location	Helan, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
Founded	Western Xia

The twin pagodas of Baisikou (in Chinese: 拜寺口双塔), located on a mountain slope plateau of Helan Mountain in Helan, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China, with a distance of 100 meters between them. The specific construction time of the two pagodas is not recorded, but based on the surrounding traces of relics and unearthed cultural relics in the pagodas, it can be determined that they were built during the Western Xia period. These two pagodas underwent multiple major repairs during the Yuan and Ming dynasties. In 1988, the twin pagodas of Baisikou were designated as a national key cultural relic protection unit.

Baisikou (拜寺口), originally named "Baisikou" (百寺口) derived its name from the numerous temples in this area, numbering over 100 at one time.^[1] The construction time of the twin pagodas is not explicitly documented,^[2] but based on the large number of scattered glass component fragments similar in style to those found in the mausoleums of the Western Xia kings, as well as records in local historical chronicles of Ningxia, it can be determined that there were Buddhist temples built here during the Western Xia period.^{[Note 1]} These two pagodas can be essentially confirmed to have been built contemporaneously with the Buddhist temples, and both were part of the imperial palace complex of Emperor Wulie of the Western Xia, Li Yuanhao.^[3] Subsequently, the temple buildings around the twin pagodas were destroyed during the Jiajing period of the Ming dynasty.^[4] In the Ming Dynasty's "Wanli Shuofang New Chronicle", the twin pagodas were recorded as important landmarks in the local area. In the fourth year of the Qing Dynasty's Qianlong reign, a magnitude 8 earthquake struck Ningxia, but the twin pagodas remained standing, although the extent of damage is unknown.^[5]

In 1986, the cultural relics department of Ningxia organized a major restoration of the twin pagodas. During this restoration, archaeologists found that many of the sculptures and brick structures on the pagoda bodies did not conform to the style of the Western Xia period. Based on the situation of other repaired pagodas in the vicinity, it was determined that the pagodas had undergone multiple repairs during the Yuan and Ming dynasties, and the pagoda bodies were basically no longer the original structures built during the Western Xia period.^[6] Additionally, during this restoration, inscriptions in both Western Xia and Sanskrit were found on the central pillars at the tops of the two pagodas, which were confirmed by carbon-14 dating to have been made in the late Western Xia period.^[7] In 1988, the twin pagodas of Baisikou were established as a national key cultural relic protection unit.^[8]

The twin pagodas are located on a slope plateau named Baisikou, north of a mountain pass in Helan Mountain, approximately 50 kilometers away from the old city area of Yinchuan.^[9] The area is surrounded by mountains on three sides.^[10] The east pagoda is 39 meters high, while the west pagoda is approximately 36 meters high.^{[Note 2][4]} Although the overall structure is similar, there are slight differences in appearance.^[2]

The east pagoda is primarily constructed using bricks and features an octagonal shape with thirteen eaves. Each floor consists of three parts: the pagoda body, the eaves, and the flat base.^[11] At the top of the pagoda, there is an inverted lotus-shaped finial, which supports a wheel of dharma. On either side below the finial, there are two guardian statues.^[12] The pagoda chamber is circular, and there are arched doors on the south side of the pagoda. The pagoda has a total of thirteen floors, with the first floor being plain, and the second to thirteenth floors adorned with molded and painted decorations at the walls and corners.^[11] Each eave of every floor has two tile brackets with animal head patterns, accompanied by protruding wooden stakes, which are decorative elements behind the animal heads.^[6] Wooden floors are installed between each floor, and wooden ladders allow access to the top floor.^[2] The interior of the pagoda is taller only on the first floor, with the subsequent floors being relatively shorter.^[13] The entire east pagoda tapers slightly from the bottom to the top, presenting a straight pyramid-shaped exterior.^[2]

The west pagoda, in terms of construction materials and appearance, is essentially the same as the east pagoda, but the west pagoda has a total of 14 floors.^[13] The first floor of the pagoda body is 6.24 meters high, relatively tall and large, accounting for about one-fifth of the total height of the pagoda body; it has an eave projection of 1.12 meters. The body of the second floor is 1.08 meters high, decreasing slightly upward, with the thirteenth floor having a pagoda body height of only 0.74 meters. There is a narrow door on the south side of the first floor of the pagoda body, measuring 1.5 meters high and 0.5 meters wide. Below the eaves on each side from the second floor upwards, there are colored statues of Buddhas and decorative patterns. Each floor has rectangular shallow niches in the center of the wall, totaling 96 niches. In these niches, the niches on the second floor cannot be reconstructed; on the third floor, there is one standing monk statue on each of the northwest, southwest, and southeast sides; on the fourth floor, there is one standing monk statue on each of the east, southeast, and northeast sides; the fifth and sixth floors each have 16 niches with seated Arhat statues, totaling sixteen Arhats; the seventh floor has 8 niches with guardian vajras; the eighth floor has 8 niches with life-releasing children; the ninth floor has 8 niches with guardian vajras; the tenth and eleventh floors each have 16 niches with bodhisattva offerings; the twelfth floor has 8 niches with treasures, with a treasure vase in the southeastern niche; the thirteenth floor has niches with eight auspicious symbols. On both sides of the niches are colored animal faces with seven tassels hanging from their mouths, forming an eight-shaped pendant, covering the wall.^[11]

There are colored patterns of jewel flames and cloud supports for the sun and moon at the corners of the pagoda walls. In the eastern niche of the twelfth floor of the west pagoda, there is a Western Xia inscription on the upper right side. On the flat base on the east side of the tenth floor, there is a complete green glass set animal. Inside the Buddha niche at the top of the pagoda, there is a hexagonal wooden central stupa pillar with a diameter of about 30 centimeters, with inscriptions in Western Xia and Sanskrit on it.^[4] Overall, the west pagoda is thicker than the east pagoda, with the upper part near the top having a larger taper, and a more rounded exterior shape.^[2]

In 1986, due to severe aging of some construction components of the pagoda body, the Cultural Relics Department of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region carried out large-scale repairs on the twin pagodas, which lasted from April to October of that year.^[11] In 2003, in order to protect the vegetation of Helan Mountain, including the area around the pagodas, the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region implemented a ban on grazing and human access to Helan Mountain, and all residents living near Baisikou were resettled.^[14]

Before the Spring Festival in 2012, the Cultural Relics Bureau, Religious Affairs Bureau, and Fire Brigade of Yinchuan City organized a fire inspection of many cultural relics and ancient sites, including the twin pagodas of Baisikou.^[15]

In 2014, the restoration work of the twin pagodas of Baisikou officially began, and the relevant restoration plan had been approved by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.^[16] The lightning protection project for the twin pagodas was completed that year.^[17]

During the repair process in 1986, several artifacts were discovered at the top of the towers, including a clay sculpture of a multi-armed Maitreya Buddha, a seated copper Buddha of Tibetan Buddhism wearing a pointed hat, both of which exhibited typical features of the Yuan Dynasty.^[6] Additionally, inside the towers, one Dachao Tongbao coin, two Zhongtong Yuanbao banknotes,^[18] and one wooden table from the Western Xia period were excavated.^[7] Furthermore, two silk Buddhist paintings (partially damaged), one wooden chair, one pair of wooden vases, two bundles of silk paper flowers, and three pieces of stamped satin were also found inside the towers.^[11]

• "宁夏拜寺口双塔". 新华网陕西频道 (in Chinese). 2003-02-14. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-01-28.
• 屈浩然著 (1991-07-01). 中国古代高建筑 (in Chinese). Tianjin: 天津科学技术出版社. p. 93. ISBN 7-5308-0985-7.
• "拜寺口双塔——一对千年的西夏美女". 新华社宁夏频道 (in Chinese). 2010-12-22. Archived from the original on 2015-04-14. Retrieved 2015-01-28.
• 许成; 吴峰云著 (1988-07-01). 宁夏古塔 (in Chinese). Yinchuan: 宁夏人民出版社. ISBN 7-227-00251-9.
• 陈泽泓著 (1999). 中国古塔走笔 (in Chinese). Guangzhou: 广东人民出版社. ISBN 7-218-03023-8.
• 叶骁军著 (1987-07-01). 西北的名胜古迹 (in Chinese). Yinchuan: 宁夏人民出版社. ISBN 7-227-00079-6.
• 罗哲文等著 (2006-05-01). 中国名塔 (in Chinese). Tianjin. ISBN 7-5306-4444-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

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