Iron Pagoda

The Iron Pagoda (Chinese: 鐵塔) of Youguo Temple (佑國寺), Kaifeng City, Henan province, is a Chinese pagoda built in 1049. Unlike the Yu Quan pagoda of Dangang, the Iron pagoda is so-named not because it is made of iron, but because its color resembles that of iron. It is a brick pagoda tower built on the location of a previous wooden one that had been burnt down by lightning fire in 1044. Along with the Liuhe, Lingxiao, Liaodi, Pizhi, and Beisi pagodas, it is seen as a masterpiece of Song dynasty architecture. The Iron Pagoda is often confused with the Yu Quan Pagoda of Dangyang, which is the pagoda that is almost entirely made out of cast iron.