Porcelain Tower of Nanjing

December 10th, 2007 by Shenron

This massive tower was constructed in the 1400’s and was located in Nanjing China, with the original calling of it being the Bao’ensi (Temple of Gratitude). However when the Europeans saw it they gave it their own name that has stuck in our culture, they called it the Porcelain Tower.

It had an octagon shaped base and it was built by the Buddhist of that time, and rose nine stories into the sky to 260 feet; however the original plans for this massive monument called for an additional four stories making it 330 feet. Constructed with white porcelain bricks it was said to become a beacon of bright white during the day and was illuminated by hundreds of lamps by nightfall, and within these white brick panels were colored stoneware tiles which held many colors and images, along with landscapes and other scenes. However, after the 1850s it was lost to warfare and total destruction.