The East and West Pagodas, which have survived the storms and earthquakes, show the high achievements of Quanzhou stone architecture and stone carving art in the Song Dynasty.
The twin towers of Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou are located on the east and west sides of Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou, with a distance of about 200 meters. The east side is called Zhenguo Tower, commonly known as East Tower; The one in the west is called Renshou Tower, commonly known as West Tower. The twin towers all imitate the pavilion-style wooden tower structure, with octagonal five levels, which is magnificent and is the treasure of stone tower architecture.
The East Tower was built in the sixth year of Tang Xiantong (AD 865). Originally a wooden tower, it was converted into a brick tower in Song San (AD 1227). From the second year of Jiaxi to the tenth year of Chunyou (AD 1238- 1250), it was rebuilt and changed into a stone tower.
This tower is 48.24 meters high. It is a pavilion building composed of granite and imitation wood structure. The center of the tower is strong and solid, and it is connected with the outer wall by beams and arches, which has strong earthquake resistance and typhoon resistance. The whole tower is magnificent in shape and exquisite in stone carving technology.
The 80 statues carved on the wall have different identities, costumes, postures, weapons and expressions, and their personalities are distinct. There are 39 stories of Sakyamuni becoming a Buddha embedded in the waist of Mount Sumi, each with a concentrated theme, and the characters' stories are nuanced and fascinating.
Introduction to Sita
The West Building was built in the second year of the Five Dynasties Liang Dynasty (AD 9 16). Originally a wooden tower, it was converted into a brick tower in the Northern Song Dynasty. From the first year of Shaoding in the Southern Song Dynasty to the first year of Jiaxi (A.D. 1228- 1237), it was converted into a stone tower. The west tower is 44.06 meters high, slightly lower than the east tower, and its scale is almost the same as that of the east tower.
A walker relief on the northeast wall on the fourth floor of the West Tower has attracted the interest and attention of tourists and scholars at home and abroad. This walker wears a straight braid, a golden hoop, several beads around his neck, a gourd and a roll of Peacock King Mantra around his waist, a ghost knife in his hand and a small Buddha statue on his right shoulder, which is similar to the Monkey King in The Journey to the West, but the West Tower was built 300 years earlier than The Journey to the West.
Therefore, some domestic scholars and professor Miyoko Nakano of Hokkaido University put forward the view that "the Monkey King was born in Fujian".