The White Pagoda of Liaoyang is the most visible landmark in a city that does not otherwise advertise itself. Rising seventy metres above White Pagoda Park in the city's Baita District, the thirteen-tiered octagonal structure was built during the Liao Dynasty (907–1125 CE) and subsequently repaired without fundamental alteration. Seen from below, its white-plastered surface and proportional taper make it unexpectedly graceful for a structure of its age and scale.
The park around the pagoda is pleasant without being remarkable — the kind of Chinese city park that serves the local neighbourhood as much as visiting tourists. The tower itself cannot be climbed, but it can be walked around and photographed from several angles. The adjacent Guangyou Temple, though rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty, maintains the Buddhist atmosphere of the original complex and houses a small collection of religious art. The pagoda is best seen in morning light, when it catches the low sun before the city's air quality typically deteriorates through the day.