Guanghui Temple and Hua Pagoda

Guanghui Temple stands on Guanghui Road in Zhengding County, in Hebei province, a short distance from the city of Shijiazhuang. The temple is known above all for the Hua Pagoda, sometimes called the Flower Pagoda, whose name refers to its decorative upper profile. The pagoda's origins are placed in the Tang dynasty, in the late eighth century, and it was repaired and altered in later periods, notably under the Song and Jin. Its form is unusual: a central octagonal multi-storey tower, roughly 40 metres tall, is flanked at the corners of its second tier by four smaller pagodas. This arrangement of a large pagoda surrounded by smaller ones, sometimes described as the five-pagoda or 'mother and child' form, is distinctive in Chinese Buddhist architecture and reflects esoteric Buddhist symbolism of the five directions. The surfaces are decorated with carved brick details, including lotus petals, reliefs and small figures, and the eaves are ornamented with brackets. The pagoda is the main surviving structure of the temple, and the monastery's other buildings have been largely rebuilt or lost. Conservation work in the twentieth century, including repairs to brickwork and the rebuilding of auxiliary halls, helped preserve the pagoda for visitors. The pagoda and its grounds are designated as a protected national cultural relic. Visitors can walk around the base and study the carving, and the small courtyard setting is quiet outside holiday periods. A typical visit lasts 30 to 45 minutes, and the temple fits easily into a day tour of Zhengding's old pagodas, along with Kaiyuan Temple, Lingxiao Pagoda and Linji Temple.