New Summer Palace, Pavilion of Buddhist Incense, “Realm of Fragrant Blossoms” archway
Beijing, China
颐和园(Yíhéyuán)[Chinese]
頤和園(Yíhéyuán)[Chinese]
佛香阁(Fúxiānggé)[Chinese simplified]
佛香閣(Fúxiānggé)[Chinese traditional]
众香界(Jièxiāngzhòng)[Chinese traditional]
界香衆(zhòngxiāngjiè)[Chinese simplified]
Architecture
The Pavilion of Buddhist Incense is located on the southern slope of Longevity Hill. Standing atop a 20-meter-high stone platform, it reaches a height of 36.4 meters. Originally, a nine-story pagoda called the Great Pagoda of Gratitude and Longevity was started to be built there in 1751, but it was destroyed by lightning reaching its eighth story in 1758. Due to this, a taller structure was deemed unsuitable, and a 41-meter-high, four-story pavilion was built instead. The current structure was rebuilt in 1891 after the original pavilion was destroyed in 1860 by French and British soldiers. Its design is inspired by the Liuhe Pagoda in Hangzhou. It houses a standing bronze statue of the Thousand-Armed Guanyin Bodhisattva. Empress Dowager Cixi visited the pavilion monthly to burn incense and pay homage to Buddha.
