当梵文的stupa与巴利文见Thupo传入我国时，曾被音译为“塔婆”、“佛图”、“浮图”、“浮屠”等，由于古印度的Stupa是用于珍藏佛家的舍利子和供奉佛像、佛经之用的，亦被意译为“方坟”、“圆冢”，直到隋唐时，翻译家才创造出了‘‘塔’’字，作为统一的译名，沿用至今。按层级分：三十七重塔﹑十七重塔﹑十五重塔﹑十三重塔﹑九重塔﹑七重塔﹑五重塔﹑三重塔等。
按形状分：方塔﹑圆塔﹑六角形塔﹑八角形塔等，另有大塔﹑多宝塔﹑瑜祗塔﹑宝箧印塔﹑五轮塔﹑卵塔﹑无缝塔﹑楼阁式塔﹑密檐塔﹑金刚宝座塔﹑墓塔﹑板塔婆﹑角塔婆。
按所纳藏之物分：舍利塔﹑发塔﹑爪塔﹑牙塔﹑衣塔﹑钵塔﹑真身塔﹑灰身塔﹑碎身塔﹑瓶塔﹑海会塔﹑三界万灵塔﹑一字一石塔﹑籾塔等。
按建筑材料分：砖塔﹑石塔﹑玉塔﹑沙塔﹑泥塔﹑土塔﹑粪塔﹑铁塔﹑铜塔﹑金塔﹑银塔﹑水晶塔﹑玻璃塔﹑琉璃塔﹑宝塔﹑香塔。
按性质意义分：祈福塔﹑报恩塔﹑法身塔﹑寿塔。
按塔排列位置之样态分：孤立塔﹑对立式塔﹑排立式塔﹑方立式塔﹑拱立式塔﹑分立式塔。
按样式分：覆钵式塔﹑龛塔﹑柱塔﹑雁塔﹑屋塔﹑无壁塔﹑喇嘛塔等。

起源发展
根据佛教文献记载，佛陀释迦牟尼涅槃后火化形成舍利，被当地八个国王收取，分别建塔加以供奉。
另外，还在释迦牟尼一生中有纪念意义的八个地点，如诞生处的兰毗尼花园、成道处的尼连禅河、首次说法处的鹿野苑、安居处的祗陀园，从忉利天下处的桑迦尸国曲女城，化度分别僧处的王舍城、将入涅盘处的毗耶离城，涅盘处的拘尸那城，建造了八大灵塔，依次称作聚莲塔、菩提塔、吉祥塔、神变塔、天降塔、和平塔、胜利塔、涅槃塔，这些塔都是有纪念意义的。
在青海塔尔寺建有善逝八宝塔，西藏布达拉宫建有如来八塔也都是为纪念释迦佛八大事迹而建造的。
印度在阿育王统治时期，佛教被列为国教，塔的建立达到了空前的高潮，在孔雀王朝所统领的小邦国内分建了八万四千座佛塔，这时期始造覆钵式的塔。
塔分两种，有舍利者称塔，无舍利者称支提（caitya），现存时间最早的塔始建于阿育王时期。
传入中国
佛教自公元一世纪传入中国，历经汉化而形成汉传佛教。
佛塔由原本的覆钵式塔汉化为楼阁式塔、亭阁式塔，又由楼阁式塔衍生出密檐式塔。
据《后汉书》记载，汉末三国时期，丹阳人笮融“大起浮屠，上累金盘，下为重楼，有堂阁周回，可容三千许人”，这些描述真实地记载了当时佛塔建筑的宏大与华丽。
中国佛塔的种类非常多，在材质方面有石塔，木塔，砖塔，玻璃塔等，塔的高度从数寸之小到数十丈都有，如吴越王所制之宝箧印塔高不过数寸，而魏献文帝时所造之永宁寺塔则号称百丈，为中国之第一高之塔。
一般来说，不论佛塔的形态、大小如何，它的基本造型是由塔基、塔身、塔刹组成的。
塔基有四方形、圆形、多角形，塔身以阶梯层层向上垒筑，逐渐收拢。
在中国，若论塔的数量和它们形式的多样，风格的丰富，可以说在世界上也是绝无仅有的，各种极富有建筑装饰美感的塔，与山川、河流、村落共同构筑了中华民族独特的人文自然景观。

早期佛塔
早期的佛塔是一个半圆形的大土冢，完全是坟墓的形式。
现存比较完整的印度桑奇大塔，中央是复钵形塔体的方形平台和三层伞盖，塔的底部有基台和围栏，前面有阶梯上下。
最外层还有绕塔围栏，围栏的四面各有一个牌坊状塔门。
在东南亚爪哇，约在八世纪后半期，出现了一座窣堵波，它是当时苏门答腊赛林多罗王朝统治时期建造的。
这座婆罗浮屠，自下而上包括：第一部分，作为塔基的极大的正方形石台，上有凸角堡。
第二部分是在这平台上的五层高坛，向上逐层缩小，在上下各坛的壁面上，装饰着小系列壁龛，其内有数目相同的佛像，婆罗浮屠整个建筑所有壁皇共四百之三十六座，佛像的数目亦与此数相等。
第三部分，在第五层高坛之上，有一个三级梯阶的环形平台，周边耸立着七十二座钟形的小舍利塔。
第四部分，在最顶层的中央，为此窣堵波本身的半球形圆顶。
这座巨大的建筑，表现了印度尼西亚民族卓越的艺术天才。
覆钵式塔
称喇嘛塔，为藏传佛教所常用。
这种塔的塔身是一个半圆形的覆体，这当然是源于印度佛塔的形式。
覆体上是巨大的塔刹，覆体上建一个高大的须弥座。
这种塔在元代开始流行，明清时期继续发展，这是和喇嘛教在当时盛行相联系的。
元代设两层须弥座，明代袭之，但比例增高，清代多数只用一层须弥座。
元代比例肥短清代则较瘦高，正面增设“眼光门”，内置佛像。
塔身与基座之间，元代多施莲瓣一层，其上为小线道数层，线道内或夹以莲珠。
明代仍沿此制。清初则改为金刚三层，不用莲瓣。塔顶最下层为塔脖子。
元明较粗壮，清代较细。其上为十三天，应是相轮的变体，一般为十三层。
元、明比较肥短，清代则细若铎柄。角上为圆盘，元明铜盘垂流苏，清代更为两层天地盘。最上为宝珠和铜塔。清代多用日、月、火焰。这里就一百零八塔来看看这种塔的造型与特征：一百零八塔在宁夏青铜峡市青铜峡水库西岸向东的山坡上，此地原本遍布寺庙，因河水淹没仅有塔林，以塔数而名之曰一百零八塔。此塔按几何图形依山势排列成下宽上尖的等腰三角形，最高端是一座形制最大的塔，塔身如同复钵，塔顶是宝珠，底座是八角形束腰须弥座，塔林自上而按1.3.5……奇数排列成12层，每层塔前用砖砌护墙一道。塔体分为四种类型，一层塔身复钵式，二、三、四层为八角鼓腹锥顶状，五、六层呈葫芦状，七一十二层呈宝瓶状。这一百零八塔是中国古塔建筑中唯一整体布局为三角形的大型塔群。这一古塔群建筑年代不详，据最新考古成就认为，是建于西夏时期。形制与北京妙应白塔相似。综合塔的结构，形制特征，承佛教喇嘛塔。
著名的有北京北海白塔、山西五台山塔院寺大白塔、宁夏青铜峡市一百零八塔等。
阁式塔的形式来源于中国传统建筑中的楼阁，这种塔在中国古塔中历史悠久，形体最高大，保存数量也最多。早期楼阁式塔应为木结构，因为易于毁于火灾，所以实物没有能够保存下来。最早的楼阁式塔见于南北朝的云冈和敦煌石窟的雕刻中。隋唐以后，多用砖石为建塔材料，出现了以砖石仿木结构的楼阁式塔。它们的特征是：每层之间的距离较大，塔的一层相当于楼阁的一层，各层面大小与高度，自下而上逐层缩小，整体轮廓为锥形。楼阁式塔的平面，唐代为方形，宋、辽、金时代为八角形，宋代还出现过六角形。明、清时代仍采用八角形和六角形。塔的结构，唐代为单层塔壁，中空，内部呈筒状，设木楼梯、楼板。宋、辽、金各代均在塔的中心砌“砖柱”。柱与塔壁之间为登临的楼梯间或塔内走廓。底部设简单台基，宋以前多不用基座。塔身每层都砌出柱、额、门窗。唐代用方柱和八角柱。辽、宋多用圆柱，栏额之上用普柏枋。各层檐下都用砖或石制成斗拱，式样与当时的木结构相似。木结构楼阁各层有平座及栏杆，但砖石楼阁式塔，南北朝至唐代多不用平座，宋、辽、金始用平座。
早期著名的楼阁式塔如西安大雁塔、山西应县木塔、河南开封祐国寺铁塔、杭州六和塔、银川海宝塔、四川沪州报恩塔等等。
密檐式塔
密檐式塔的第一层较高，以上各层骤变低矮，高度面阔亦渐缩小，且愈上收缩愈急，各层檐紧密相接，故名。整体轮廓呈炮弹形。
现存最古的砖塔河南登封县的嵩岳寺塔即属于密檐式塔。此塔也是中国现存古塔实物中年代最早的，该塔修建于北魏永平二年（509年）。嵩岳寺塔是由木结构向砖石结构过渡的早期实例，非常值得重视。嵩岳寺塔的总高度约30米，底层直径10.6米。全塔除塔刹和基石之外，均以砖砌筑。塔的下部是低平的基台，台上建塔身，塔身平面呈十二边形，这在全国是唯一的例子。第一层塔身特别高大，用叠涩平座将之分为上下两段，在四个正面开了贯通上下段的塔门。下段的其余八面都是素面平砖，没有加以装饰。上段是整个塔装饰最集中的地方，分别装饰壶门、狮子、火珠垂莲。第一层塔身以上，叠涩出密檐十五层，每层塔檐之间距离甚短。塔刹用石雕刻而成。刹座是巨大的仰莲瓣组成的须弥座，须弥座上承托着梭形的七重相轮组成的刹身，刹顶是一个巨型的宝珠。篙岳塔的外形流畅、秀丽，艺术成就非常高，正是由于它的设计和施工的优秀，使得这座古塔保存至今。其他像西安小雁塔、云南大理千寻塔也是密檐式塔中的精品。
金刚宝座塔
塔的下部是为一方形巨大高台，台上建五个正方形密檐小塔（代表密宗五方五佛）。这种塔在中国从明代以后陆续有修造，但是数量很少，全国现存十多处。著名的有北京真觉寺金刚宝座塔、北京碧云寺金刚宝座塔、内蒙古呼和浩特市慈灯寺金刚座舍利宝塔等。其中内蒙古慈灯寺的金刚座舍利塔，俗称五塔寺。建于清雍正年间。塔由塔基、金刚座和顶部的五座玲珑宝塔组成。金刚座建在塔基上，座下部是须弥座；束腰部分是砖雕狮、象、法轮、金翅鸟和金刚座柞等图案花纹；上半部有119尊鎏金小佛；拱门上有用蒙古、藏、汉三种文字刻成的“金刚座舍利宝塔”汉白玉石匾额。门内为无梁殿，东南角有通向座上的阶梯。五塔建于座上，当中塔高8.7米，为七层，四角小塔略低各为五层。塔身第一层均塑一佛、二菩萨及菩提树、景云图象，第二层以上为千佛龛。建筑工艺技巧精细娴熟，宝塔显得玲珑秀丽。塔后照壁嵌有蒙古文天文图石刻。

When the stupa and Pali Sanskrit Thupo was introduced into China, has been transliterated as "tower woman", "Buddha", "pagoda", "Buddha", the ancient India Stupa is used for the collection of Buddhist relics and worship Buddha Sutra, use, also was translated as "grave", "round mound", until the Sui and Tang Dynasties, translators create 'tower' 'word, as a unified name, still in use. According to the level of points: Thirty-seven heavy tower, the tower of the seventeen, the heavy tower, the tower, the tower, the heavy tower, the tower, the five heavy tower, such as the tower of the three, and so on, the thirteen heavy tower, such as the tower, the tower, the tower, the tower, the fifteen heavy tower.
According to the shape: square tower, Round Tower, hexagonal tower, octagonal tower, tower, pagoda, otherwise only Yu tower, tower, tower five round casket, egg tower, seamless tower, pavilion style tower, Miyan towers, diamond throne tower, plate tower, Muta Po, Po corner tower.
According to various Tibet objects: Stupa, tower, tower, ivory tower, clothing claw tower, tower, tower body, pot ash tower, broken body tower, tower, tower, bottle of the sea will be three million word of a pagoda pagoda, tower ni.
According to the building materials: stone, jade tower, pagoda, tower, tower, sandcastle, mud dung tower, tower, tower, copper urn, Silver Tower, crystal glass, glass tower tower, tower, pagoda, tower.
According to the nature of meaning: Clifford tower, tower, tower, a tower body.
According to the arrangement of tower like state: isolated tower, tower, tower type of vertical arrangement, vertical tower, tower, tower type discrete vertical arch.
According to the style: the follow-up bowl tower, tower, tower, niche, house tower, wall pagoda tower, Lama tower etc..

Origin and development
According to the Buddhist literature, Shakya Muni Buddha Nirvana after cremation formed by the local relic, eight kings charge, respectively to build the tower to worship.
In addition, Shakya Muni also has eight locations to commemorate the significance of his life, such as birth at Lumbini garden, falgu River Road, the first argument at Sarnath, live at only Tuo Park, from the trayastrimsa world at the mulberry kingdom of Kashi kannauj, the Wang She monk degree respectively. City, will enter Nirvana at the border and from the city, Nirvana at kusinara City, built eight pagoda, are called Ephraim, poly Bodhi tower, auspicious tower, God changed tower, heaven tower, Peace Tower, tower of victory, Nirvana tower, these towers are memorable.
Kumbum Monastery in Qinghai has built eight Sugata tower, Tibet Potala Palace built the Tathagata eight tower are built to commemorate the eight deeds of Sakyamuni buddha.
In India during the reign of Ashoka, Buddhism was listed as the state religion, the establishment of the tower has reached an unprecedented climax, leading in the Mauryan small States domestic built eighty-four thousand stupas, this period was made the follow-up bowl tower.
The tower is divided into two kinds, the stupa called tower, no relic called Zhiti (caitya), the first time the existing tower was built in the period of emperor ashoka.
Incoming China
Buddhism since the year first Century Chinese incoming, after finished and the formation of Chinese buddhism.
The pagoda covered bowl tower originally for the Chinese Pavilion style tower, pavilion style tower, the pavilion style tower Miyan tower derived.
According to the "Houhanshu" records, the late Han Dynasty period, Danyang Ze Rong "big play on the pagoda, tired to Paris, a gold plate, Tang Ge week, can accommodate three thousand people, a" real record at the time of the description of the pagoda building grand and gorgeous.
There are many types of Chinese pagoda. The pagoda, in the material of brick, glass pagoda, tower, tower height from a few inches to several hundred feet are small, such as king Wu Yue of the casket but a few inches high tower, which made the Wei Wen Xian Yongning Temple is known as Baizhang as the first Chinese high tower.
In general, no matter how the shape and size of the pagoda, the basic design is composed of tower, tower, Tasha.
The tower with square, circular, polygonal tower with step upward building, gradually gathered.
In Chinese, if on the number of towers and their various forms, rich style, which is unique in the world, there are a variety of architectural decorative beauty of the tower, with mountains, rivers, villages together to build a unique cultural and natural landscape of the Chinese nation.

Early stupa
The pagoda is a large mound early 1.5 round, is entirely in the form of the grave.
The complete India Sanchi, the central square platform complex bowl shaped tower and three storey canopy, a fence and the bottom of the tower, in front of a ladder up and down.
The outermost and fence fence around the tower, each surrounded by a shaped arch pylon.
In the southeast of Java, approximately in the second half of eighth Century, there has been a stupa wave, it was built during the reign of Sailinduoluo sumatra.
This Borobudur, bottom-up includes: the first part, as the great square tower in Shitai, a redan.
The second part is the five storey altar in this platform, the gradual reduction in the upward, up and down the altar wall, decorated with small series of niches, which has the same number of Buddha, Borobudur all the whole building a total of four hundred of the thirty-six wall crown, the number of statues with the same number.
The third part, on the fifth storey high altar, there is a three level ladder ring around the platform, stood seventy-two small bell shaped stupa.
The fourth part, at the top of the central, this stupa dome wave itself.
This huge building shows the outstanding artistic genius of the Indonesia people.
Lamaist pagoda
Lama tower, commonly used in Tibetan buddhism.
This tower of the tower is 1.5 round nappe this course is originated from India pagoda form.
Nappe is thatsa great, nappe built a tall xumizuo.
The tower became popular in the Yuan Dynasty and continued to develop during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
The two layers of the Ming Dynasty was xumizuo,, but the proportion increased, most of the Qing Dynasty by a layer of xumizuo.
The proportion of fertilizer is thin and short in the Qing Dynasty, "added positive vision", a statue.
Between the tower body and the base, the Yuan Dynasty more than one layer of lotus petals, the upper part of the small line of the number of layers, the line of the road or folder with lotus beads.
The Ming Dynasty still along this system. In the early Qing Dynasty, it was changed into three layers of King kong. The bottom of the tower is the tower neck.
Yuan Ming relatively thick, relatively thin in the Qing dynasty. It is thirteen days, should be a variant of the phase wheel, generally for the thirteen layer.
Yuan, Ming fat short, the Qing Dynasty is fine if the duo handle. On the corner of the disk, the Yuan Ming copper hanging tassel, the Qing Dynasty into two layers and disc. For the orb and copper tower. Day, month and flame in the Qing dynasty. Here we look at modeling and feature of the one hundred and eight tower tower: one hundred and eight tower in Ningxia Qingtongxia City Qingtongxia reservoir to the East West hillside, originally here throughout the temple, because the river flooded only in Tallinn, the number and the name of the tower to tower one hundred and eight. This tower according to the geometry of the mountain are arranged under the width on the tip of the isosceles triangle, the top is a form of the largest tower, the tower complex as the bowl, the top of the tower is Sarah, the base is octagonal waist Xu Mizuo, Tallinn since according to 1.3.5...... Odd numbers are arranged in 12 layers, each layer in front of the tower with a brick wall. The tower body is divided into four types, one storey tower complex bowl, two or three, four for the octagonal drum abdomen cone top shape, five or six layers of a gourd shaped in the shape of twelve layers, 71. This is the one hundred and eight tower in Guta, China, the overall layout of the overall layout of the triangle as a large group of towers. The Guta construction group of an unknown age, according to the latest archaeological achievements that are built in Xixia period. Similar shapes and Beijing Miaoying tower. Integrated tower structure, shape characteristics, the Buddhist Lama tower.
The famous Beijing Shanxi Mount Wutai, Beihai Baita Temple Tayuan Baita, Ningxia Qingtongxia one hundred and eight tower.
The pavilion style tower form from the China in traditional architecture Pavilion, the tower in China in Guta has a long history, form the highest, most save number. Early Pavilion style tower for the wooden structure, because it is destroyed by fire, so the objects can not survive. The earliest pagodas of the northern and Southern Dynasties in Dunhuang and Yungang grotto carving. Sui and Tang Dynasties, the use of masonry for tower construction materials, appeared in the pavilion style tower brick wood structure. It is characterized by a larger distance between each layer, a layer of the tower is equivalent to a layer of the pavilion, size and height, bottom layer is reduced, the overall outline for cone. The plane Pavilion style tower, Tang Dynasty square, song, Liao, Jin era is octagonal, the Song Dynasty also appeared hexagonal. In Ming and Qing Dynasties, octagonal and hexagonal. The structure of the tower, the Tang Dynasty is a single tower wall, hollow, the interior of the cylinder, a wooden staircase, floor. The song, Liao and Jin Dynasties were all built in the center of the tower". Between the column and column wall for stairs or tower boarding corridor. At the bottom of a simple platform, there is no base before the song dynasty. Each layer of the tower is made of columns, doors, doors and windows. Square column and octagonal column in Tang dynasty. Liao and song by column, the amount of column with Fang Pu bo. The eaves are made of brick or stone brackets, style similar to wood structure at that time. Wooden pavilion structure layers with flat seat and railings, but brick Pavilion style tower stone floor, the southern and Northern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty there is no flat seat, song, Liao and Jin beginning with flat seat.
Early Pavilion style tower such as the famous big wild goose pagoda in Xi'an, Shanxi Yingxian Wood Tower, Henan Kaifeng Youguo temple tower, Hangzhou, Yinchuan, Sichuan Liuhe pagoda Haibao pagoda Shanghai tower and so on.
pagoda of the multi-eaveed type
The first layer of dense high eaves tower, the floors above the low height change, miankuo is gradually reduced, and the more anxious to shrink, each layer is tightly connected with the eaves, named. The whole contour is in the shape of a shell.The most ancient pagoda in Henan County of Dengfeng that belongs to the Songyue temple tower Miyan tower. This tower is also in Guta China existing in the first kind, the tower was built in the Northern Wei Yongping two years (509 years). Song Yue Temple is early examples of wood structure to the masonry structure transition, very worthy of attention. The total height of the Songyue temple tower about 30 meters, the bottom diameter of 10.6 meters. In addition to the tower tower brakes and the cornerstone of the brick masonry. The lower part of the tower base station is flat, the platform built the tower, the tower was twelve plane shape, this is the only example in the country. The first layer of the tower is particularly tall, with a corbel flat seat will be divided into two sections, the four front opened up and down through the gate. The lower section of the remaining eight are plain flat brick, not decorated. The upper part of the tower is decorated with the most concentrated place, decorated the door of the pot, the lion, the fire beads hanging lotus. The first layer of the tower above the body, fold out the dense canopy fifteen layers, each layer of the tower between the very short distance. Carved stone pagodas. Rizal seat is a huge lotus petal composed of Xu Mizuo, Xu Mizuo on supporting the spindle seven phase wheel brake, brake is the top of a giant orb. Gao Yue tower shape smooth, beautiful, artistic achievement is very high, it is because of its excellent design and construction, which was preserved in Guta. Like other small wild goose pagoda in Xi'an and Yunnan Dali Chihiro tower Miyan tower is in the boutique.
King Kong throne tower
The lower part of the tower is a large square tower, the platform built five square tower Miyan (on behalf of Tantric five directions). This tower has been built in China since the Ming Dynasty, but the number is very small, there are more than and 10. The famous Beijing Jingang, Beijing throne of King Kong Biyun Si tower in Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia light temple sarira stupas ondiamod thrones etc.. The Inner Mongolia CI Temple lamp diamond block Stupa, commonly known as wutasi. Was founded in the Qing emperor Yong Zheng. The tower consists of five exquisite pagoda tower, diamond block and the top of the composition. The diamond was built in the tower, a lower xumizuo; waist part is the lion, elephant, Falun, Zhuandiao redpolls and diamond block pattern on the upper tussah etc.; there are 119 small Buddha statue of gilded arches; useful Mongolia, Tibetan and Han carved in three languages "diamond block relic pagoda" Chinese white jade board. Inside the door for the hall, there is a ladder to the Southeast corner. Five in the seat, which tower 8.7 meters high, seven layers, four small angle low of five for each layer slightly. The tower was a first layer of plastic Buddha and two Bodhisattva and the bodhi tree, keiun image, second floors above 1000 fokan. The construction techniques of fine pagoda is adept, exquisite beauty. After the Mongolia tower Zhaobi embedded astronomical map carving.