Iron Pagoda

The Iron Pagoda is not iron: it was built in 1049 to replace a wooden tower destroyed by lightning, and faced entirely in glazed bricks of a dark brown that reads as rust at a distance, which gave it the name. Fifty-five metres tall and thirteen storeys, octagonal, it carries some fifty different brick patterns moulded with Buddhas, monks, dragons, musicians and flowers, an unusually rich decorative scheme. What is remarkable is its survival: Kaifeng has been flooded and buried repeatedly by the Yellow River, and the pagoda has stood through dozens of floods, earthquakes and wars while the city around it was destroyed and rebuilt several times over.

What you actually see

• The glazed brick facing - dark brown tiles that give the pagoda its name.
• The moulded patterns - some fifty brick designs of figures and creatures.
• The internal stair - a narrow spiral climbing inside the tower.
• The survival record - a Song building standing through centuries of floods.

When to go

April to May and September to November; the peony festival in April and chrysanthemum displays in autumn coincide with the best weather. Summer is hot. The site is quieter than Kaifeng's central attractions.

Honest expectations

The internal staircase is extremely narrow, dark and steep, and climbing is uncomfortable for larger visitors. The surrounding park is modest. Entry is charged for a short visit.

Nearby

Kaifeng's centre lies southwest; the Fan Pagoda is south of the old city.