Dorm, kitchen, dinning hall, storehouse and antechamber usually cluster on the right side while left side remains for the visitors. Pagoda is also the main integrating part of the Buddhist architecture, with varied styles and strong local favors. Pagoda followed Buddhism into China around the first century, and developed into pavilion-like pagoda on which one can view scenery after immediate combination with traditional Chinese architecture. Now the highest pagoda existing stands 40 meters high and enjoys a 1400-year lifespan after survival of several earthquakes. Among the 3000 existing pagodas, there are all-timber pagoda, brick pagoda, stone pagoda, bronze pagoda and iron pagoda.
Most Chinese pagodas are multistoried ones.
Early pagodas were usually wooden and had quadrangle, hexangle, ocatagonal and twelve sided ichnographies. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, pagodas tended to be stone and brick. In the Liao dynasty, solid pagoda appeared. After, in the Song, Liao and Jin dynasties, flower pagoda debuted, which was decorated with assorted carved flowers, honeycombed shrines, animals and Buddha and disciple sculptures, looked like flowers. Generally speaking, pagodas became more and more gorgeous.