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Sakyamuni Pagoda, believed to be the world's tallest wooden structure, celebrated its 950th anniversary amid concerns from architects that it is tilting. The streets in front of the Fogong Temple, where the pagoda is housed, were swamped Tuesday with 30,000 people carrying red flags, silk banners, pumpkin-shaped lanterns and coloured balloons. Three thousand peace doves were flown from the square on the occasion. A seven-tonne bell rang 108 times, symbolising Buddhist beliefs dispelling a person's 108 worries. Among the attendees were more than 200 monks and Buddhist believers who travelled all the way from Taiwan for the celebration held in Yingxian county in northern Shanxi province. However, the architects are not optimistic about the pagoda's future. They warned the ageing "King of Wooden Pagoda" might succumb to another violent quake or strong wind, as the tower is tilting. There is an obvious tilt between first and second floors and cracking of the interior wooden columns, said Chai Zejun, former director of the Shanxi Provincial Ancient Architecture Institute. There are also 300 places in the pagoda in need of repair, added Chai. "The overall situation is dangerous and we are not optimistic. It is hard to tell whether the pagoda can survive more strong winds and earthquakes," said 82-year-old Luo Zhewen, head of the experts' panel on ancient architecture with the state bureau of cultural relics. Standing 67.31m tall, the octagonal pagoda is not only the tallest but also the oldest existing wooden pagoda in China. The pagoda is 115 years older and 11.36m taller than the renowned Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy. The Sakyamuni pagoda has long been lauded as the world's tallest wooden tower with its unique architectural, religious and historical value. It has been under state-level protection since 1961 and went into the Tentative List of UNESCO's World Heritage in 1996. China started mulling over fixing the pagoda 17 years ago, when the senior party official Li Ruihuan saw for himself the damaged condition of the pagoda. But the process was slow. Most architectural scholars are tired of endless arguments and demonstrations, and are becoming more and more worried the pagoda might not live through 1,000 years. "We must act soon, in whatever way," Fu said, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Yu Tianfang, a 37-year-old woman peddler selling cold drinks in front of the Fogong Temple, said: "We Yingxian people all take pride in the wooden pagoda. I hope it can stand for another thousand years."
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