The pagoda, variously known as the Northern Pagoda, North Temple Pagoda, or Beisi Pagoda, dates from the 17th century, or late Ming dynasty, and offers good views over the city of Suzhou.
Part of the Bao’en Temple complex, the pagoda has been renovated numerous times over the years and was once 11 stories high, today it’s 9 stories with a total height of 76 metres. The site saw earlier pagodas with constructions dating back 1700 years. The current pagoda is a rebuild on a design from the mid 12th Century, the earlier structure having burnt down.
This image is part of my China 1999 image gallery. ~KD.