Rising 67.31 metres (220 feet 10 inches) above the plains of Yingxian in Shanxi Province, China, the Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple is not merely a building — it is nearly a thousand years of unbroken history, standing tall and proud as the Oldest and Tallest Existing Wooden Pagoda in China, officially recognised and certified by the World Records Authority.

Constructed in 1056 AD during the Liao Dynasty, this extraordinary multi-level pagoda stands on a stone base with five main levels, its timber frame assembled without a single nail — relying entirely on an interlocking bracket system of extraordinary sophistication. Over nearly a millennium, it has survived extreme weather, catastrophic earthquakes, and artillery fire during wartime — emerging each time as an enduring testament to the genius of ancient Chinese architectural engineering.

The pagoda’s survival across ten centuries is itself a record within a record. Each of its structural elements — the interlocking wooden brackets, the layered eaves, the towering central column — reflects a mastery of material and design that modern engineers continue to study and admire. It has withstood the test of time in a way that very few human-built structures anywhere in the world can claim.

The World Records Authority is proud to officially recognise the Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple for this dual distinction — the oldest and the tallest. It remains an irreplaceable symbol of China’s architectural heritage and a monument to the enduring power of human craftsmanship across the centuries.