The Pagoda TYPE OF CHINESE ARCHITECTURE D. J. KAVANAGH, S. J. THE MARBLE PAGODA Built in 617 A. D. The hand-carved statues of Bud- c'ha and of thr warrior-kings are state of preservation. still in an excellent The Pagoda BY D. J. KAVANAGH, S. J. The James H. Harry Company 1122-1124 MISSION' ST. SAN' FRANCISCO > , » * 1 " , '» > > > ' * * * • C0 CO en u Library 17 FOREWORD. * It was tki easy task to gather together the material out of which the following- little sketch has been constructed. Very main- au- thors refer to the Pagoda and speak of its architectural and artistic magnificence, hut few. if any, — certainly not one whom 1 could find. — tell us, with any degree of precision, what Pagodas really are. why they were originally built, or to what uses they were subsequently applied. Brother Peck. S. J., and his asso- ciates in the Chinese Orphanage at Zi-ka-wei are, therefore, the pioneers in this particular » held of archeological research. To him and to Sj them I am indebted for whatever of scientific S value this sketch may possess. ag I am fully conscious of its very many imper- ^ fections, hut it was found necessary to offer cj some explanation of what, in the opinion of many, is the most interesting exhibit in the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. I shall welcome all suggestions which anyone more conversant with the subject may be kind enough to offer. Rev. D. J. Kavanagh, S. J., Palace of Education. Exposition Grounds, Sou Francisco. THE PAGODA. Only a few years ago the eyes of the world were turned, with re-awakened interest, upon the most ancient of nations. Unchanging China, age-old product of Taoism. Confucianism and Buddhism, was in the throes of a revolution, which marked the passing of the Chinese Em- pire and the birth of the Chinese Republic. With the birth of the Republic was born also a spirit of friendliness toward the outside world. The doors of China, at which for centuries the nations of the West had knocked unheeded, were thrown open and an oppor- tunity was given to study in detail the charac- teristics of Chinese civilization which had hitherto been manifested in rare and, for the most part, poorly defined glimpses. It had been known, chiefly through the revelation of the missionaries who succeeded at times in penetrating into the very precincts of the Emperor's palace, that, long before the peo- ples of Western Europe had abandoned their existence as nomad hunters, the Chinese were living in settled communities. It had been known, too, that the Chinese had always shown 8 The Pagoda a keen interest in everything that was intellec- tual and artistic and that, while in all the de- partments of science and art. they had risen to high achievement, in some lines they had never heen surpassed. Their art. it is true, is unique, hut so is the art of all great peoples. Egypt suggests the pyramids; Babylon, the huge palaces and the hanging gardens; Greece, the Doric and Ionic temples with their noble restraint and exalted beauty; Koine, the tri- umphal arch, the forum, the amphitheater and the stately villa. The unique characteristic of Chinese art is found symbolized in the Pagoda and it is of the Pagoda that we intend to speak. I. RELIGIOUS ORIGIN OF 1111'. PAGODA. There have heen very many theories ad- vanced in an endeavor t<> explain the origin and the purpose of the Pagodas. Some have argued that, because they are often found near tlie hanks of rivers, streams and canals, they were originally intended to serve as light- houses for the guidance of navigators or as beacon-towers, in time of war, to warn the approach of an enemy. < Ithers have regarded THE GREAT PAGODA Built in 1160 A. D., it is the most beautiful in China. io The Pagoda them as monuments erected in honor of great personages or in commemoration of greal events. Others again seek their origin in relig- ion, though they are undecided whether the Pagoda was religious merely in the building or intended for subsequent use as a temple or place of worship. The word itself Pagoda (peh-kuh-t'a) mean- ing a "white hone tower" offers no key to the solution of the problem. Sometimes, however. perhaps more frequently, it is called a "pao-t'a" and though the literal meaning of the word is "preeion> tower." there seems to he some sug- gestion that the building was "precious" not only by reason of its luxuriant ornamentation. but also. — and. in some cases, chiefly — by rea- son of the "sacred" or "religious" purposes for which it was destined. With the Chinese, "relig- ious," "sacred" and "precious" are almost syn- onymous terms. Apart from the name, however, there are other means of determining the original purpose of tin- Pagoda. In the first place die theories that conflict with the religious character of these towers may very easily he dismissed. The lighthouse theory is puerile. True, the Pagoda is frequently found on the hank, of rivers and streams, but the light of recent research has TAMING-FU Specially noteworthy for its elaborate carvings. The Buddhas in the center panels are nearly 20 feet in height. Their conspicuous presence renders impossible all doubt of the religious character of the Pagodas. 12 The Pagoda revealed that this is not always the case and that, when it is so, it manifests the appreciative genius of the Chinese builders who invariably chose a site that would lend a natural beauty to their highly embellished structure. What they intended and generally obtained was a blending of art and nature in Mich a way that the Pagoda seems part of the scenery and the scenery a complement of the Pagoda. That the Pagodas were sometimes used for signaling purposes, both for the benefit of navigators and warriors, no one can deny, hut to build such colossal towers, and to ornament them with the luxury of artistic embellishment for these purposes only, was as far from the original plan of the Chinese constructor- as to build the Cathedral of Rheims for war-purposes was from the intention of the Medieval French. The second theory, according to which the Pagoda was a monument erected in honor ot great persons or in memory of great events, is not so easily disposed of. It is an admitted fact that, at least, in the period of Chim history that corresponds to our Middle Ages, some Pagodas were erected for monumental purposes. We are told in Chinese annals thai the famous Porcelain Pagoda of Nanking was : in V D. 1423 by an • THE FAMOUS PORCELAIN PAGODA OF NANKING Also called the Pagoda of Gratitude. 329 feet in height. 14 The Pagoda Ming Dynasty in memory of his mother. The native writers also tell us that five precious pearls were placed < >n the roof. One of these was meant to prevent the terrible inundations caused by the recurrent overflowings ot the river Yang-tze, the second to guard against conflagrations, the third to calm high winds, the fourth to check sandstorms, and the fifth, called "The mighty shining pearl." to Forestall all attempts made to disturb public peace dur- ing the hours of the night. What is true of this Pagoda at Nanking has been found to be true of other Pagodas as well; but in the first place, the Chinese were careful in such instances to distinguish their memorial towers from the Pagodas properly si i called. What is called by outsiders the Pagoda of Nanking is known to the Chinese not as a "Pao-t'a" nor as a "Peh-kuh-t'a," hut simply as a "fa." or tower. In other instances, where the building is commemorative of ancestors, it is found that the niches are reserved for memorial tablets instead of for the idols that are invariahh \in\w\ in the Pagodas. Moreover the Chinese explicitly distinguish between the "Pao-t'a" or -acred tower and the "Toov-tang" or what we .should call a "hall of fame." The Pagoda i 5 But even apart from this clearly defined dis- tinction between the sacred and the secular edifice, and the further consideration that the "t'a" is of recent date, it would be quite pos- sible to admit the memorial character of the Pagoda and to maintain, at the same time, that it is none the less religious. The reason is obvious to all who know that one of the pre- dominant traits of all of the Oriental religions is the worship of ancestors. It makes very lit- tle difference whether the ancestors are far removed in point of time or but recently de- parted, the honor paid to them is a part of the religion of China and even if the Pagoda orig- inated in this idea alone it would come under the general heading of a religious temple. Still more conclusive arguments of the relig- ious origin of the Pagoda are available. When in the year 65 A. D. at the express invitation of the Emperor Ming-Ti, the Hindoo Bonzes introduced Buddhism into the Celestial Empire, it was but natural that with the leligion they should bring its outward forms and expres- sions and among these outward forms, the Hindoo "Gopura" or tower-temple was not the least. There is, it is true, an architectural dif- ference between the "Gopura" and the "Pa- goda," but the difference seems to consist chiefly 1 6 The Pagoda in this, that the latter is an exaggerated embel- lishment of the former. The Buddhist origin of the Pagoda is beyond all question an estab- lished fact. The "All-Precious Pagoda" of I hi-li. for instance, is literally covered with images and paintings of Buddha, while there i^ scarcely a single Pagoda in the whole extent of China that has not several such images. If it be argued against this conclusion that some of the Pagodas are doorless and that therefore it is impossible to regard them as temples of worship, the answer is not far to seek. This is true of very few, and though in such cases there can he no question of "a tem- ple."' there is ample proof that the religious motive was not wanting. It was held by the Chinese that the very building of such a monu- ment was an act of religion, sufficient to estab- lish the claim of the builder to "merit." Hence it sometimes happened that the building once completed, was forthwith abandoned and neg- lected. The builder had gained his "merit" and others had no reason to interfere in what had already been accomplished. It is tor thi> reason that the material of construction was often perishable. There is not. at the present daw a single Pagoda in a siatr of perfect preservation. Mosl of them are either rapidly YUENPING-HSIEN A masterpiece of 14th century architecture. The carvings show remarkable skill and artistic taste. The warrior-kings that surround the second story have been faithfully reproduced in actual size by the Zi-ka-wei orphans. Six of these reproduced statues may be seen at the Exposition. 8 The Pagoda disintegrating or already in utter ruin. This fact, that the Pagoda was. at times, abandoned to tlie destructive elements, merely indicates that though the religious idea was always pr< - ent, it was not always present in the Name way. Sometimes the purpose was to construct a tem- ple; at other times to make an offering to the ( Chinese deities. 'There were many religious and semi-religious legends connected with the Pagodas. It was said of the "Flowery Pagoda" of Kwangchow- fu that if ever its vane were to fall, evil would come upon the city, and it is told in Chinese annals that when, on two occasions, the vane did fall, evil times resulted as a punishment for the neglect of an irreligious people. Add to these considerations the particular names by which the Pagodas were originally known, — most of them religious in character, as ••The Heaven Conferred," "The Celestial Rest.' - etc.. — add moreover the undeniable fact that though some were isolated, most of them were in the court-yards of the Buddhist monas teries, and there can he no doubt that, what- ever the occasional uses might have been, the original idea of the Chinese builders was en- tirely religious in character. The Pagoda 19 II. ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES OF THE PAGODAS. What strikes the Western visitor on first entering China is the dominance of the roof in all their archi- tecture and especially in the Pagoda. It is this feature more than any other which renders their buildings so novel and gives them their chief claim to beauty of form. Next to the quaint- ness of these roofs, the num- ber, the variety, and the beauty of the Pagodas at- tract one's attention. One finds them all over the Re- public, in the walled cities, in the small towns, in coun- try districts, and even in the remote uplands of Tibet, but they are generally in or near cities or on the banks of rivers and streams. They are graceful, highly ornamented towers. The West Wood Pagoda One of the oldest in China, an admirable example of the pre- vailing type of roof. 20 The Pagoda consisting of seven, nine, thirteen, or some- times more stories. Each story is surmounted by a tiled roof with the characteristic Chinese upturned corners. A peculiarity about the number of stories is that it is always odd. The Pagoda of Tai-li-fu, with its sixteen stories, is the only exception. They are generally octagonal in shape, though some are square, others hexagonal and at least one round Pagoda is known at Kwangchoo-fu in the province of Kwantung. All Pagodas diminish in the height and width of their stories as they ascend. Thus their builders secured for them graceful tapering proportions, saving the small ones from being squatty and stubby, and the lofty ones from appearing sud- denly truncated. The tiles of the roof which surround tin- stories are highly colored, usual- ly in green. The) are almost invariably built mi" brick, with a facing of stone. At Yen:.;- chow-fu in the Province of Shan-tung, there is a Pagoda built of iron and at Nanking in the Province of Kingsu there is one built entirely of marble. Though erected in A. I). 617 the Marble Pagoda is one of the most graceful and one of the mosl beautiful both in design and in ornamentation. It has five Stories and is only sixty feet in height : but it i- covered fr< The Pagoda 2\ base to summit with most wonderful carvings, all in a very good state of preservation. More in the reign of the white Jade than a thousand years later K'anglisi (A. D. 1662-1723), Pagoda was erected in Peking. It resembles the Marble Pa- goda of Nanking in being rather small, only 75 feet in height. It also is covered from hase to summit with most elab- orate carvings and is equally beautiful in design. Previous to the revolution of the long- haired rebels in 1853 there was at Nanking the famous "Por- celain Tower." It was octag- onal, with nine stories and three hundred and twenty-nine feet in height. On account of its beauty of form and elabo- rate ornamentation it was for centuries one of the wonders of the East : but this did not save it from the vandalism of the rebels who captured the city in 1853 and razed the beautiful Pagoda to the ground in 1856. Nearly all of these Oriental towers have two walls. Thev mav be said to be towers within A Typical Square Pagoda 22 The Pagoda towers. The spiral staircase which passes from story to story is placed between the outer and inner walls, each of which may be six or seven feet in thickness. A striking peculiarity about some of the Pagodas is that they are noticeably out of plumb; some even are genuine leaning towers, reminding one of the Tower of Pisa. III. TIN. RESTORATION OF THE PAGODA. Archeological students are for the most part satisfied when their research-work has been pushed SO far as to enable them to outline on paper or in imagination, the original propor- tions of some crumbling monument of antiq- uity. When we hear of the Roman Forum "Restored." we think of a picture with complete details of temples, of arches, of via sacra and of toga-clad Romans hurrying to and fro amid the monumental Structures. Such an achieve- ment is worthy of the archeologist, hut it is not the most perfect form of restoration. If, instead of the picture, you could see, in minia- ture, all the primitive buildings, the fluted col- umn^, the massive arches, the relief work faith- fully reproduced in even the minutest detail. the statm- that adorned the buildings, the tri- THE OUTLOOK PAGODA turl° fCet in hCight ' re P ai >ed by Wanlih in the 16th cen- 24 The Pagoda pods for the incense-offerings, the altars of sacrifice, all arranged in their proper relations of size, of distance and of height, you would have more opportunity to study the original grandeur just as it was. It i- precisely this fonn of restoration or, more properly speaking, reproduction, that has resulted from years of painstaking research among the ruins of China's many Pagodas. Brother Beck, S. J., the director of the wood- carving establishment at Zi-ka-wei, was not content with a mere outline on paper of < "Inn architecture: he set himself the task of repro- ducing in exact detail all of the famous Pa godas. The task was gigantic, not only by reason of the work which it entailed, and the expenses that would naturally have to he incurred, hut also, and chiefly, because he was a pioneer in the field. < Hhers had studied and admired the Pagodas of the sea-board provinces, some had secured photographs of their present-day disin- tegration and not a feu had written ahout their origin and the different purposes for which they had often been used; hut no one had taken up the subject in it- entirety until, a few- years ago, Brother Beck of Zi-ka-wei, began his monumental work. The Pagoda 2c; 1 fe was admirably equipped for the task. Besides the encouragement received from the Chinese Government authorities, who deeply appreciated the idea of restoration, and the freedom he had in consulting historical docu- ments and national archives, the Jesuit Brother had the exceptional advantage of being in direct communication with his fellow mission- ers in the different provinces of the Republic. Detailed information was sent to him from all parts of China, descriptions and photographs of every Pagoda as it stands today were secured, historical data were sifted and the result was a clearer knowledge and a wider information than any previously obtained. Nor was this all. The information, though valuable, served only as the first step in his study. He conceived the idea of actually "re- building" all the famous Pagodas of China and in this, too. he was at a distinct advantage : he had under his direction about three hundred orphan-boys, trained in artistic and mechanical tiades. skilled wood-carvers, painters, decora- tors, carpenters, and above all, willing workers. The orphans of Zi-ka-wei. appreciative of and grateful for the care which they have received from their Jesuit benefactors, are docile and quick to learn and willing: to work. 26 The Pagoda Supplied with the information, with the ma- terial and with the builders. Brother Beck be- gan his work and has succeeded in "rebuilding" eighty-two of China's wonderfully artistic Pa- godas, of rebuilding them with an exactness in every detail that has compelled the admiration oi students of Chinese art and architecture throughout the world. We shall mention but a few of the special features of Brother Beck's work. The "Marble Pagoda" of Nanking, "Si-hia shan Ku ta.*' as it is called in Chinese, was built in M7 A. 1). and its stone-carved images are marvels of prim- itive Chinese art. Statues of Buddha and of warrior-kings of heroic dimensions, storied panels and bas-reliefs, borders and friezes and cornices, every inch of which is an elaboration of microscopic detail-work, unite to make this monument, which, after the lapse of fourteen centuries, is in a very good state- of preserva- tion, the most interesting in the whole range of Chinese archeology. Brother Beck's model, though necessarily in miniature, has repro duced ever) feature, from the colossal statues of warrior-kings down to the smallest detail in the wonderfully lahyrinthian panels. Another interesting Pagoda is the Buddhist Stupa, with it- HKM) idols. It is nine stories in JEH-HO-TA A Pagoda of the Tsing Dynasty. Height 213 feet. *<293035 :S The Pagoda height and of exceptionally beautiful lines. The gracefully curved gables terminate in hanging bells, fifty-six in number, the balconies or porches that surround the Pagoda at intervals are tastefully executed. Built iu the seventeenth century, it is one of the few religious monuments of the Manchu dynasty; but though com- paratively recent, it is none the less a rtistic. I n fact, with the possible exception of the '*< rreal I 'agoda" of Soochow-fu, and the "Por< lain Tower,"- - the "I 'ag< >da <>t" Gratitude" of Nanking, — it is the most beautiful and the most graceful in China. Wonderful, however, as the original structure was, the model reproduced by I broth- er Beck's orphan boys i s easily conceded to be a greater achievement. All ol tlu 1,000 i< faithfully reprod by the "t phans of Zl- l<:i-\M-i The Pagoda 29 precision and fidelity to every, even the small- est, detail. The limits of this sketch prevent a further explanation of the work of reconstruction ac- complished by the Zi-ka-wei orphans. Those who are interested in the achievement may visit the exhihit of eighty-two Pagodas in the Palace of Education of the Panama-Pacific Interna- tional Exposition. There they will have an opportunity to see, for themselves, the nature of the work accomplished. Ma:iy, it is true, will not appreciate to the full, the scientific value of the collection and the enormous work which it implies, hut no one can fail to admire, in a general way, both the architectural skill of the original Chinese builders and the painstaking and laborious reconstructive work of the or- phans of Zi-ka-wei. Q uaim riA U-- , Cw/L.i J