This Tang-dynasty pagoda was built in 652 AD by emperor Gaozong to house the sutras (Buddhist scriptures) that monk Xuanzang had brought back from India. The pagoda is 64m (210 ft) tall; it consists of a brick exterior and a wooden interior. Gaozong's original building was five stories high, made of rammed-earth walls and a stone exterior; this collapsed and was rebuilt in 701-704 by Empress Wu Zetian, who added five more stories. In 1556 a massive earthquake damaged the building and reduced it to the present seven stories. The last major renovation was in 1964.