Yangtoushan Stone Pagoda in Gaoping, Shanxi

The Yangtoushan Stone Pagoda is located in Yangtoushan, Shennong Town, northern Gaoping City, Jincheng, Shanxi Province. It is a group of ancient stone pagodas distributed on the surrounding mountains of Yangtoushan, known for their long history and unique shapes, holding significant cultural relic value. The stone pagodas are mostly distributed from the mid-mountain area of the temple to the mountain top. Historically, there were twelve pagodas, with ten remaining today, one of which is heavily damaged. These stone pagodas were mainly built during the Northern Wei and Tang dynasties and are precious physical evidence for studying early Chinese stone pagoda architecture. The Yangtoushan Stone Pagoda group is a typical representation of stone pagodas from the Northern Wei to Tang dynasties. Their statues and pagoda styles are consistent with the styles of the contemporary Yungang Grottoes and Longmen Grottoes. The Buddha niches and statue carvings on the pagoda bodies reflect the evolution of early Buddhist art, while the dense distribution of Tang dynasty round pagodas provides important examples for studying the regional characteristics of Tang dynasty multi-eaved pagodas. With its thousand-year history and unique form, the Yangtoushan Stone Pagoda has become a treasure among the ancient pagodas of the Sanjin region.