The Pagodas of China 
Coming from India, the pagoda, as the Buddhism has spread from the second century China, then Korea and Japan. The pagoda as we know it is an evolution of the Indian stupa, that is to say, a kind of burial where sacred relics could be venerated and protected. The shape of the Indian stupa by cons - begging bowl back, which later evolves into a half-sphere - has greatly diversified during its spread in Asia, to present, as is the case of the pagoda, a architecture that no longer possesses any of the features of the stupa.
In China, the pagoda in the center of the great Buddhist temples, presented, In addition, other benefits and uses. She served for example, very simply, observation tower, see far is motivation enough. The possibility that the building offered to monitor the movements of enemies is also an asset. Finally its great size, sea and river, the temple served as a reference point: piers or bridges nearby. Composed of several storeys, built in brick, stone and brick, devoid of Shinbashi (term to be defined later), pagodas have an interior space with wide access to the floors by stairs. In the Han period (25-220) until the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), they are highly religious function, serving as a place of worship and place of preservation of relics in the Middle Kingdom, which did not prevent the Chinese from be used as an observatory, as was the case for example for the octagonal pagoda Liaodi.
Sub Han, ancient pagodas were like most buildings of the era of wood. Unfortunately, the wood catches fire easily, wood rot and could also be destroyed by insects. This is why a number of them have survived. By cons in an earthquake, it is Wooden pagodas that resisted the best: while those masonry showed little stable. The wooden pagodas are present in Japan with one exception: The Sakyamuni Pagoda Temple Fogong, the 11th century and 67 meters high, the only all-wood structure still existing in China.
Replace wood with brick and stone pagodas made more fire resistant. The use of these materials has helped to reduce the size of eaves because the brick has a relatively low flexural and shear. China is found most brick pagodas. Note we also find a few more pagodas bronze, iron, ceramic or made of bricks and glazed tiles in China.
The octagonal pagoda Liaodi (which means "Observing the enemy") of 1055 of Kaiyuan Temple in Dingzhou (Northern China) 84 meters high, totaling 11 floors are built of masonry. Typically Chinese, it is the tallest ancient pagodas still existing. The eaves are made of layers of bricks are short. A staircase is located in the central part, and the pagoda has real doors and windows.
Pagoda paper cut is available from the shop RUYI:
