A world-renowned, existing oldest pure wooden structure pagoda, built in 664 AD and still standing despite multiple earthquakes. - The Yinxian Wooden Pagoda, located in Datong, Shanxi Province, China, is the highest and oldest existing pure wooden structure pagoda. It was originally built in 1056 AD during the Liao Dynasty and has endured over a thousand years of storms and earthquakes, remaining remarkably stable. The pagoda stands 67.31 meters tall, nine stories high with eight sides, relying entirely on the intricate interlocking of *dou gong* (bracketed supports) and *sonmao* (mortise and tenon joints), without a single iron nail. Its suspended galleries, *youyi dou gong* (wish-fulfilling bracketed supports), and colorful painted sculptures are considered masterpieces of wooden architecture. Inside the pagoda, a spiral wooden staircase leads to the top, offering a panoramic view of the Yunzhong region and the feeling of “rising directly to the blue sky.”
