Fogong Temple
The monastery
Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple (Yingxian Wooden Pagoda)
Names, location and historical identity of the monument
Fogong Temple is the monastery; Sakyamuni Pagoda is the timber pagoda within it; “Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple” is the full name; and “Yingxian Wooden Pagoda” is the common place-and-material name. They do not describe four monuments.
Sakyamuni Pagoda
Name of the pagoda
Pagoda of Fogong Temple
Full monument name
Yingxian Wooden Pagoda
Common name
The pagoda stands inside Fogong Temple in Ying County, Shuozhou, Shanxi. Heritage lists and scholarship often use the full name, while public writing commonly uses Yingxian Wooden Pagoda.
The three-character Sakyamuni Pagoda plaque is dated 1194 and is important material evidence for the monument’s name and repair history.
Use Fogong Temple for the monastery and Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple (Yingxian Wooden Pagoda) for the timber monument itself. Stable record IDs help prevent images and publications being assigned to the wrong object.
Name and research timeline
- 1056
Pagoda completed
- 1194
Sakyamuni Pagoda plaque
- 1933
Liang Sicheng and Mo Zongjiang survey
- 1961
First national heritage list
- 2013
Chinese World Heritage tentative list
Fogong Temple and the pagoda
Is Fogong Temple the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda?
Not exactly. Fogong Temple is the monastery; the wooden pagoda is its Sakyamuni Pagoda.
Are Sakyamuni Pagoda and Yingxian Wooden Pagoda the same?
Yes, they are the formal and common names of the same monument.
Where is it?
Inside Fogong Temple in Ying County, Shuozhou, Shanxi, China.
When was it completed?
In 1056 during the Liao dynasty.
Is it a World Heritage Site?
Not yet. It is included on China’s tentative list.