Standing on a hill, north of the Henan University in the northeastern part of the city, the pagoda was first built in 982 (during the Song Dynasty). It is a Buddhist pagoda where the finger bone of a dignitary is kept. The pagoda, made of an entire timber frame, was kept in Kaibao Temple when it was originally built. Later in 1049, the surface of the pagoda was covered with iron-colored glazed tiles and it gained the name Iron Pagoda. The temple was renamed several times in the successive periods and was finally pulled down during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD). The thirteen-story pagoda rises to 55.88 meters in height with an entire timber frame interior. On the brick basement are exquisite carved patterns of animals, Buddhist motifs and flora. It has stood for over 900 years and remains intact. A park has been built for the pagoda to which several halls and temples have been added. It provides a good venue for the appreciation of Chinese carvings, inscriptions and color-painted statues.