Its circumference is not very
considerable, but nearly the same all the way up, which gives it the
look of a tower. I was informed that this pagoda was formerly one
of the most celebrated in China, but it has long ceased to be used.
The interior was completely empty; there were neither statues nor
any other ornaments; nor were there any floors to prevent the eye
from seeing to the very top. On the outside, small balconies
without railings surround each story, to which access is gained by
steep and narrow flights of stairs. These projecting balconies
produce a very fine effect, being built of coloured bricks, very
artistically laid, and faced with variegated tiles. The bricks are
placed in rows, with their points jutting obliquely outwards, so
that the points project about four inches over one another. At a
distance, the work seems as if it were half pierced through, and
from the beautiful colours and fineness of the tiles, a person might
easily mistake the entire mass for porcelain.
While we were viewing the pagoda, the whole population of the
village had assembled round about us, and as they behaved with
tolerable quietness, we determined on paying a visit to the village
itself.
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