Beigengqudeng is a Tibetan word for octagonal dagoba. The Beigengqudeng Dagoba in Baiju Temple in Gyangze, Tibet, is the must magnificent ancient dagoba in Tibet, its unique structure and shape making it stand out from among other ancient dagobas.
Beigeng Dagoba is a major building in Baiju Temple. Its ground plan is in the shape of a huge cross, similar to that of the pedestals of Lamaist dagobas in north China and the Central Plains, but its pedestal sprawls over an area of 2,200 square meters. The dagoba's main body, however, is small. Beigeng Dagoba has unique characteristics: Its pedestal is a Buddhist temple of five storeys, rising like terraces. The dsgoba's main body is round with doors on the east, south, west and north and small windows between them. Above the main body is a round pent roof supported by wooden brackets. The steeple is not only big but splendid. Its pedestal is cross-shaped and has eaves supported by brackets, giving it the look of a square pavilion. The huge main body of the thirteen-tier steeple is topped by a canopy surrounded with dangling ornaments, then crowned by a small Lamaist dagoba. Actually the entire steeple is a gorgeous pagoda.
The most prominent features of the dagoba are its plan and structure, which combined the strong points of Han and Tibetan architectural arts and absorbed some elements of foreign Buddhist arts, such as those of India, Nepal and Kashmir. The wooden parts, such as brackets, beams and pillars, are modeled completely on Ming Dynasty official wooden structures. Kept in the dagoba are exquisite sculptures, frescoes and other valuable relics.
