{"id":554,"date":"2026-07-22T10:02:59","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T10:02:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ynatcn.com\/?p=554"},"modified":"2026-08-03T12:53:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T12:53:56","slug":"the-three-pagodas-of-chongsheng-temple-%e5%b4%87%e5%9c%a3%e5%af%ba%e4%b8%89%e5%a1%94","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.ynatcn.com\/?p=554","title":{"rendered":"The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple (\u5d07\u5723\u5bfa\u4e09\u5854)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Three Pagodas are Dali’s most iconic landmark<\/strong> \u2014 a trio of ancient Buddhist towers that have stood for over 1,200 years between Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake.<\/p>\n

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Architecture & Layout<\/h2>\n
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The three pagodas are arranged in an isosceles triangle<\/strong> formation, with the main pagoda in the center and two smaller ones flanking it to the north and south.<\/p>\n

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Pagoda<\/th>\nName<\/th>\nHeight<\/th>\nStories<\/th>\nShape<\/th>\nDynasty Built<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Main<\/strong><\/td>\nQianxun Pagoda (\u5343\u5bfb\u5854)<\/td>\n69.13 m<\/td>\n16<\/td>\nSquare<\/td>\nTang Dynasty (Nanzhao Kingdom, ~823\u2013859 AD)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
North<\/strong><\/td>\nNorth Small Pagoda<\/td>\n42.19 m<\/td>\n10<\/td>\nOctagonal<\/td>\nSong Dynasty (Dali Kingdom, ~1108\u20131172 AD)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
South<\/strong><\/td>\nSouth Small Pagoda<\/td>\n42.19 m<\/td>\n10<\/td>\nOctagonal<\/td>\nSong Dynasty (Dali Kingdom, ~1108\u20131172 AD)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The main Qianxun Pagoda is a square, multi-eaved hollow brick pagoda<\/strong> in classic Tang Dynasty style \u2014 similar to Xi’an’s Small Wild Goose Pagoda. The two smaller pagodas reflect Song Dynasty elegance with their octagonal design.<\/p>\n

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History<\/h2>\n

Origins (9th Century)<\/h3>\n
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Built during the reign of Nanzhao King Quan Fengyou<\/strong> (\u529d\u4e30\u7950, 824\u2013859 AD), the pagodas were originally part of the grand Chongsheng Temple<\/strong> \u2014 the royal monastery of the Nanzhao and later Dali Kingdoms.<\/p>\n

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The “Buddhist Capital”<\/h3>\n
At its peak, Chongsheng Temple was one of the largest Buddhist complexes in Southeast Asia:<\/div>\n