Pagoda Forest
Lying to the west of the temple, the Pagoda Forest is a must see for each visitor. The forest features 243 stupas of different architectural styles. It was said that the first stupa was a mound in India that held the body of the Buddha Sakyamuni. Over the centuries, the form of the stupa (or dagoba) became more stylized and eventually evolved (in Chinese Chan Buddhism) to the form seen in the Pagoda Forest. The first stupa at this site was built in 791 AD and the last is dated back to 1803 AD. The construction of the dagobas spanned the Tang, Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. The sizes of these dagobas range from seven stories (14.6 meters) to just a meter in height. All are built in either stone or brick. The exquisite stone and brick carvings are of great value in the study of Chinese carving.