Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-04-18
The Porcelain Tower.

The celebrated Porcelain Tower near
Wanting, China, is described by trav.
eler, who says: In the quiet evening
we made our way out of the city by the
south gate, through q well-constructed
tunnel, and shortly stood upon an emf
hence whose surface was a mass of de-
bris consisting of broken bricks, tiles
and plaster several feet thick. This was
all-all that was left of that which, for
its historic beauty, the ingenuity Of its
construction and its great cost, took
rank with the wonders of the world
the famous Porcelain Tower. 1t must
have been very beautiful in its perfec-
ton, if we accept the statements of It's
various historians, who differ so little
in their accounts that one does for all
From them we learn its form was octag-
onal, nine stories high, tapering as it
arose to the height of 261 feet from the
ground, the circumference of the lower
story being 100 feet.
The body of the pagoda was of brick,
but its face was composed of porcelain
tiles of many colors. Each story
formed kind of saloon, through which
ran the spiral staircase leading to the
summit, and whose walls were covered
with small, gilded idols resting in
inches, the entire apartment richly
painted and gilded. Each story was
defined by projecting cornice of green
tiles, from whose points gilded bells
were hung.
The roof was overlaid with copper,
and above it rose O mast thirty feet
high, capped by golden ball and coiled
about by an immense band OF iron, APP
pearing like rings from below. The
base of this shaft was an iron ball
formed of two halves, the outer surface
of which is magnifceptly embossed. I
say is, for one-half rests where it fell,
the only tangible thing in the mass of
ruin. The other half, weighing twelve
tons, being broken by the fall, was re-
cast into temple bell.
Standing before the half which is left,
we query who were they that fashioned
this beautiful casting, worthy the hand
of master. Whose writing andinscrip-
ton embellished its face unlike any
Chinese workmanship. Whose skill
was great enough in A. d. 1880 to place
bali of iron thirty-six feet in circum-
ference, weighing twenty-four tons.
upon pedestal 261 feet high? This
ball was the receptacle of various treas
ures calculated to ward off evil inhu-
ences, among which were "night-shin-
ing jewels" pearls, books, gold, silver,
thousands of strings of cash, satin, silk
and priceless medicine.
The number of bells on the structure
was 152, and the interior was illumin-
ated by several hundred of lamps, while
the exterior required 1913 to light it. 1t
took nineteen years to build it and cost
$3,315,97S.
OF all this, not one story rests on the
other lightning, fire and war have laid
their hands upon it and it fell, its final
destroyers being the Tapping rebels
about twenty years ago. 1t stood in the
grounds of Buddhist monastery, which
fell at the same time prey to the fanat-
icism and rapscity of the invaders. One
work of art within the grounds escaped
destruction, a pure, white marble tor
toise, bearing upon his back perpen-
dicular tablet with an inscription. This,
with one solitary priest, keeps watch
and ward over the ruins Of bygone
glory.