Ayuwang Pagoda  The Ayuwang or Ashoka Pagoda is a stupa in Dai County in northeast Xinzhou Prefecture in northern Shanxi, China. The Ayuwang Pagoda's name honors Ashoka, the Mauryan emperor who converted to Buddhism around 263 and subsequently greatly patronized the religion. The Ayuwang Pagoda was first built under the Sui in 601. Over the next 600 years, it was destroyed and rebuilt three times. Its present form dates to the Mongolian Yuan dynasty, who favored Tibetan Buddhism and rebuilt the tower in a Tibetan style. This dagoba was heavily damaged by an earthquake during the Qing dynasty and subsequently repaired.