octagonal with a base of about in diameter. When it was built, the tower was one of the largest buildings in China, rising up to a height of with nine stories and a staircase in the middle of the pagoda, which spiraled upwards for 184 steps. The top of the roof was marked by a golden pineapple. There were original plans to add more stories, according to an American missionary who in 1852 visited Nanjing. There are only a few Chinese pagodas that surpass its height, such as the still existent 11th-century Liaodi Pagoda in Hebei or the no longer existent 7th-century wooden pagoda of Chang'an. The tower was built with white porcelain bricks that were said to reflect the sun's rays during the day, and at night as many as 140 lamps were hung from the building to illuminate the tower. Glazes and stoneware were worked into the porcelain and created a mixture of green, yellow, brown and white designs on the sides of the tower, including animals, flowers and landscapes. The tower was also decorated with numerous Buddhist images. Fragments of the original tower may exist in the Calcutta Museum, presented by the Geological Survey of India, 7 August 1877. A small fragment belongs to the Georgia Historical Society in Savannah, Georgia. Gallery References External links (English subtitle) The Closing Events of the Campaign in China by Granville Gower Loch. London 1843. Great Bao'en Monastery, Architectura Sinica Site Archive Towers completed in the 15th century Buildings and structures in Nanjing Tower of Nanjing, Porcelain Demolished buildings and structures in China Towers in China Chinese ceramic works Former towers Yongle Emperor Individual pieces of porcelain