Overview
The original pagoda fell because generations had pulled bricks from it as talismans. The modern replacement is a steel and copper structure with lifts, enclosing the excavated brick base of the old one, which is visible on the ground floor. Purists object to it; the view of the lake from the top and the surviving foundation both justify the climb.
Highlights
Go at sunset — Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow is one of the canonical ten views, and the tower faces the light. The relic base and the excavated crypt on the lower levels are the historical part. Come by boat across the lake rather than by road if you can.