Called formally Ran Deng Sarira (Burning Lamp Buddhist Relic) Pagoda, it stands on the bank of the Baihe River northwest of the county town of Tongxian; it is also known as Tongzhou Pagoda. The pagoda was damaged during an earthquake in 1679 and was reconstructed in 1696. Its style indicates it was built during the Kin Dynasty.
The octagonal, thirteen-eared solid structure, 53 meters high, is a typical example of multi-eaved pagodas of the Liao and Kin dynasties. The base of the pagoda is a Sumeru pedestal, decorated with exquisitely carved patterns of human figures and flowers. The first storey is particularly tall, with a door on the east, south, west and north sides. The southern door, two meters deep, used to contain a statue of Buddha. The other three doors are purely ornamental. False windows decorate the other four sides of the first storey.
Beyond the first storey there are thirteen levels of closely structured eaves. The brackets under the eaves are made of brick, but the rafters are wooden--a fashion followed during the Liao and Kin dynasties. The spire at the top of the pagoda is made of metal. Randeng Pagoda is an important relic of the Liao and Kin dynasties in Beijing.
