Hongfo Pagoda

The pagoda is located in the countryside east of Hongxing Village (红星村), Jingui Township (金贵镇), about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from Helan city.

Based on the high quality of statues and paintings found in the pagoda, it is thought that the monastery it belonged to must have been high-ranking with imperial patronage.

The pagoda has been repaired and renovated several times over the centuries, but by the 1980s it was in a fragile state, with the brickwork around the base missing, the pinnacle lost, and large cracks in its structure.

The upper part is shaped like a Tibetan-style stupa with a stepped ratha-shaped base and a hemispherical dome.

The pagoda was constructed of bricks around a solid clay interior, with a central supporting pillar made of wood.

During renovation in 1990, a large number of objects dating to the Western Xia were discovered in a small room at the base of the pinnacle of the pagoda, includes the remains of painted earthenware Buddhist statues and thousands of pieces of wooden printing blocks for Tangut Buddhist texts.