Some consider the Tibetan Style Pagoda a subtype of the Overturned Bowl Style Pagoda. Other typologies may include the Road Spanning Style Pagoda 過街式塔, Sutra Pillar Style Pagoda 經幢式塔, and Flower Pagoda 華塔, among others. This is based on the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts published by Foguang Shan, found here. * This post was written as an addendum to the lecture I gave on Sacred Buddhist Architecture at the 2018 Woodenfish. Most of the space is covered by five horizontal registers which depict various buddhas. The sides of the main structure are ornately decorated with Buddhist images and symbols. In addition a round terrace is placed in the center front, covering the top of a stairway that grants access to the top of the structure. These individual pagodas are each of the square, multi-eaved type. This functions as a pedestal for five pagoda structures, each for one of the donated statues, of which the tallest central pagoda adds another 10 meters to the total height. The square base of the Vajra Throne Pagoda is approximately 19 meters by 16 meters, and is about 8 meters high. The pagoda was renovated during the Qing Dynasty, but is believed to retain some of the original structural elements. A horizontal plaque above the main entrance still reads “Imperially Constructed Vajra Throne Pagoda” 敕建金剛寶座塔. He ordered that a pagoda be built that matched the architectural plans of the building found at the site of the vajrāsana. Construction of the pagoda at Zhenjue Temple began during the reign of the Ming Emperor Yongle (r.1402-24) when a Buddhist monk named *Paṇḍita 班迪達 from the “Western Regions” donated five Buddhist statues which the emperor instructed were to be housed in a special structure. The Chinese pagoda is named the Vajra Throne Pagoda 金剛寶座塔 after the traditional site where the Buddha was enlightened under the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gāya, called the vajrāsana (Vajra Throne). This last site is also called the Temple of the Five Pagodas 五塔寺 due to the appearance of the Mahābodhi Temple-inspired building which incorporates five pagodas into its architecture. Vajra Throne Pagoda 金剛寶座塔 at Zhenjue Temple 真覺寺 in Beijing
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