Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 2.djvu/574

 472 CHINESE ARCHITECTURE. BOOK IX, circle of pillars round its base, and the lat or Stambha, which usually accompany these objects further west, it recalled the original forms as completely as any other object in this country. In direct contrast to this is the Pa-li-Chwang Pagoda (Plate LIX.), about 15 miles east of Pekin. Its thirteen storeys are almost more monotonous than those of the Nankin tower, but they are merely projecting eaves, which take the place of string-courses. Although of slight projection, the eaves are supported by groups of brackets which take the place of a frieze. The ground storey is of greater importance than usual, it is pierced with arched doorways and windows on alternate faces, and is raised on a lofty pedestal enriched with mouldings and carvings, altogether constituting an imposing architectural structure like the Orissan temples, to which it bears some resemblance. The interior is lighted by small openings between the bracket clusters. In contrast with this is the Su-chaw pagoda, with nine storeys, of great height but devoid of any architectural design, the upturned corners of the eaves being extremely ugly. It is extremely difficult to form a correct estimate of the artistic merits of these towers. Edifices so original and so national must be interesting from that circumstance alone, and it seems almost impossible to build anything in a tower-like form of great height, whether as a steeple, a minar, or a pagoda, which shall not form a pleasing object from its salience and aspiring character alone, even without any real artistic merit in itself. Besides these qualifications, I cannot but think that the tapering octagonal form, the boldly marked divisions, the domical roof, and general consistence in design and ornament of these towers, entitle them to rank tolerably high among the tower-like buildings of the world. P'AI-LUS. The P'ai-lus or P'ai-fangs, sometimes utilised as entrance gateways to temples and tombs, are another class of monument almost as frequently met with in Chinese scenery as the nine- storeyed pagodas, and consequently nearly as familiar to the European eye. Their origin is as distinctly Indian as the other, though, from their nature, being easily overthrown, but few examples can be found in a country that has so long ceased to be Buddhist. Fortunately, however, we still possess in the gateway of Scinchi (Woodcut No. 12) the typical example of the whole class ; and we find them afterwards represented in bas- reliefs and in frescoes in a manner to leave no doubt of the frequency of their application.