The Hua Pagoda, standing within the Guanghui Temple grounds, is the strangest of Zhengding's four pagodas — and, to many visitors, the most memorable. Its lower section is entirely covered in sculptural relief: elephants bearing small pagodas on their backs, seated Buddhas, mythical guardian figures, decorative animals, and layers of geometric ornament that cover every surface. The effect is more sculptural than architectural, and it looks nothing like conventional Chinese pagoda design.
The upper section rises in a series of tapering tiers that are more conventionally designed, creating an odd visual contrast with the overloaded lower level. The pagoda's original date is somewhat uncertain, but it is generally placed in the Jin dynasty (12th–13th century), which aligns with the sculptural style. It is smaller than the Xumi and Lingxiao pagodas but generates more concentrated visual interest per square metre. Allow time to walk around it slowly.