Pagoda
Pagoda is the general English term for a tower-shaped building, often religious in purpose, common in
China and other parts of
Asia. Pagodas are usually found in association with
Temples (often
Buddist and are believed to offer protection to the temple. As
lightning generally strikes the highest structure in a vicinity, this protection is likely more real than imagined.
Many pagodas are
Buddhist stupa, but the
Daqin Pagoda in China was actually built by early
Christians.
In the
18th century, Chinoiserie, a style based on Chinese and other Far East designs became popular in Europe, introduced by the burgeoning trade and travel routes. An example of this, the pagoda in
Kew Gardens,
England was completed in
1762 as a gift for
Princess Augusta, the mother of
George III.
Some famous pagodas
\n*Jade Chop Pagoda in the Three Gorges region of the Chang Jiang (Yangtze) river.
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