The Qinghua Temple Flower Pagoda stands alone on the mountain peak

The Qinghua Temple Flower Pagoda is located in Lai Shui, a 2-hour drive from Beijing. Getting to the Qinghua Temple Flower Pagoda is not easy. After leaving the main road by car, you need to continue along a small path through the fields. The road is lined with apricot trees that are in season and available for purchase. The lane only allows for one-way traffic, making it impossible for two vehicles to pass each other. Fortunately, this road is rarely traveled, and we did not encounter any oncoming traffic on our way there and back. Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, seeing the steep incline of the firebreak trail, we parked the car to one side and proceeded to climb the mountain on foot. The path is relatively wide, but it is mostly unpaved and strewn with gravel, requiring cautious driving if one were to ascend by car. Friends with good physical stamina may be able to climb it in 40 minutes, but it took me an hour. Actually, after rounding a few bends, you can see the Qinghua Temple Flower Pagoda perched high above. White clouds rise from behind the slopes, and the upper part of the pagoda, resembling half a pineapple, stands tall. This type of flower pagoda appeared briefly during the Liao and Jin dynasties and was not built again thereafter. Interestingly, the few flower pagodas or similar structures that exist in China are all preserved around Beijing and in Shanxi. The more famous ones include the Wanfo Hall Flower Pagoda and the Zhengang Pagoda in Beijing, the Chelunshan Flower Pagoda in Tangshan, and the Banji Pagoda in Liaoning. If we include the more uniquely shaped Guanghui Temple Flower Pagoda and the Xiude Temple Pagoda in Quyang, there are seven in total. Of course, there are similar pagodas in Shanxi as well. For example, the several tomb pagodas of Foguang Temple, the earth pagodas of Dunhuang, and the Lianli Pagoda of Mengshan in Taiyuan, but those have pagoda bodies resembling blooming lotuses, not this style covered with Buddha niches. The Qinghua Temple Flower Pagoda has been restored to its former glory after repairs. Some of the weathered and damaged green bricks have been replaced. The original Vajrasana with its strongmen and Kabuki have all but vanished, with only parts left to imagine their original appearance. The middle part of the pagoda is in the style of a pavilion, with doors on all four sides and Buddha statues inside, which seem to have been placed in recent years. The lintels above the doors are carved with flying apsaras, and there are semi-circular columns at the corners. The flower-style pagoda body is at the very top, overall resembling a conical shape. From the first level to the top of the pagoda, there are eight layers of small brick Buddha niches, resembling pavilions, with the height and width decreasing layer by layer from bottom to top, ending with a circular spire. The lowest level is a double-layered square pavilion, with door openings on both levels. Above the double-layered pavilion is a square mini-pagoda, arranged in a staggered pattern for a total of seven layers. Each upper part of the square mini-pagodas is carved with three peaches, arranged in a triangular formation. The top of the pagoda has an eight-ridged tile surface, and the original spire has been destroyed. Near the flower pagoda, there is a simple temple. The temple itself was built in recent years, but a tree has grown out of the basalt in front of the door, which should be an ancient relic. There is also a sutra pillar in the backyard, but unfortunately, it is not well preserved. ——Travel tips—— ▫️Opening hours: All day. However, it is advisable to climb during the daytime. ▫️Admission: Free. ▫️Visiting time: 1 hour. ▫️Protection level: National Grade 5.