The world's oldest wooden tower sways to survive typhoons
The oldest wooden building on Earth has survived 1,400 years of earthquakes and typhoons by using a central pillar that acts like a massive pendulum.
The five-story pagoda at Horyu-ji in Japan is a masterpiece of flexible engineering. Built in 607 AD, it has survived dozens of major earthquakes that leveled nearby stone structures. Its secret lies in the 'shinbashira,' a massive central heart-pillar made from a single cypress tree. This pillar is not actually attached to the floors of the pagoda; instead, the floors are stacked loosely around it like a set of independent hats.
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