Traveling in Shanxi (28) - Daixian Ayuwang Pagoda.

Origin of Ayuwang Pagoda: The well-known Ayuwang was an ancient Indian king in the 3rd century BC. He was known for his reformation and devotion to Buddhism. He built 84,000 pagodas around the world, including in China, to enshrine the relics of Sakyamuni Buddha, which were originally divided among eight countries. All the pagodas he built were called "Ayuwang Pagoda." Therefore, Ayuwang Pagoda is just a general term. Origin of the name: Ancient Ayuwang Pagodas had their own unique names. The Ayuwang Pagoda in Daixian is also known as "Daizhou Pagoda" or "Dai Pagoda" for short. It was called "Pizha" and "Longxing" in the Sui Dynasty, "Yuan Guo" in the Tang Dynasty, and the same in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The Ayuwang Pagoda that is preserved today is located in the Yuanguo Temple in the ancient city of Daizhou. It was first built in 601 AD during the Sui Dynasty and was originally a wooden structure. It suffered three disasters over the next 600 years and was rebuilt as a brick pagoda in the 12th year of the Yuan Dynasty. The Ayuwang Pagoda has harmonious proportions and exquisite brick carvings, making it a masterpiece of Yuan Dynasty Lama pagodas in China. Special features: The base of a Lama pagoda is usually square, but this pagoda has a round base. It is an example and model of early Lama pagodas in the Central Plains, along with the White Pagoda of Miaoying Temple in Beijing. 📌TIPS: 📍Location: Search for Ayuwang Pagoda in the navigation app. 💰Tickets: Free 🅿️Parking: There is a parking lot in front of Ayuwang Pagoda, next to the county government, with free parking. ⏱️Opening hours: 8:00–16:00 ⌚️Visit duration: 15–30 minutes 💙Nearby: The Ayuwang Pagoda is located in the ancient city of Daizhou. The open attractions in the ancient city are not far from each other, so you can park your car in one place and walk around, which is convenient. 🔶Ayuwang Pagoda - Mao Zedong Road Residence - Glazed Well - Zhou Dai Residence - Daizhou Bell Tower - Bianjing Tower - General Temple - Daizhou Confucian Temple You can visit them all in one day. 🔶There are parking lots in front of Bianjing Tower and Confucian Temple, with a fee of CNY 10 for the first three hours, and CNY 2 for each additional hour, with a maximum charge for 12 hours. The charging cycle is 24 hours. 💙Daizhou specialties: 🔶Daizhou yellow wine, Daizhou chili, Daizhou pear, Daizhou sorghum noodles 🔶Daizhou yellow wine is a famous specialty of Daixian, with a long history and unique brewing process. It has a golden color and a mild and mellow aroma. It was praised as "Daizhou golden wave and jade cream" as early as the Song Dynasty. 💙Clothing: As an ancient frontier area, the temperature is 3–4 degrees lower than that of the south of Daizhou, and it is windy. So, bring a thick coat to keep warm.